Director, Public Sector Engagement

Department: Government Affairs
Location: Washington, DC
Reports to: Senior Director, IT Modernization and Procurement
Posted: 10/30/2026

The Business Software Alliance is the global trade association of the enterprise software industry, representing companies that are leaders in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, quantum, and other breakthrough technologies. We work in over 20 markets in the US, Europe, and Asia, advocating policies that build trust in technology so that every industry sector and the public can benefit from innovation. BSA members create the business-to-business technologies, including AI, that are used by companies in every sector of the economy.

BSA is seeking a Director, Public Sector Engagement to develop and lead a new program focused on strengthening relationships between BSA member companies and senior leaders in the US federal government. The Director will build and manage relationships with senior federal technology, acquisition, cybersecurity, program, and other government leaders and create opportunities for substantive engagement with senior executives from BSA member companies.

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of how the federal government operates, including federal IT, acquisition, and contracting, as well as an understanding of the business environment for technology companies that serve the public sector. The successful candidate will be able to operate effectively at the intersection of government, industry, and IT modernization and understand the differing objectives, opportunities, and constraints of each.

This is a role requiring strong executive presence, judgment, interpersonal skills, and the ability to develop trusted relationships with both senior government officials and corporate executives. The Director will work closely with BSA member companies to understand their public-sector priorities, identify opportunities for engagement, and ensure the program delivers meaningful value to members.

The program is intended to facilitate candid, substantive dialogue between government and industry and is not a sales channel.

The Director will have overall responsibility for the strategy and execution of the program. The Director will also oversee and manage a part-time event contractor responsible for the operational and logistical execution of program events. The contractor is expected to work approximately 20 hours per week during event planning periods, with increased hours immediately preceding each event. The Director will establish priorities and timelines, direct the contractor’s work, and maintain overall accountability for the quality and execution of each engagement.

Professional Experience and Qualifications:

Minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience.
Significant experience in federal government, government technology, federal contracting, government affairs, public-sector business development, trade associations, or a related field.
Strong understanding of the US federal government and the federal technology ecosystem.
Knowledge of federal acquisition, and contracting processes.
Understanding of the commercial environment and business priorities of technology companies serving the federal government.
Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain relationships with senior government officials and corporate executives.
Strong executive presence and excellent interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to facilitate substantive discussions among senior leaders with differing interests and perspectives.
Ability to understand and maintain appropriate distinctions among government engagement, advocacy, procurement, relationship development, and commercial activity.
Experience managing contractors, vendors, staff, or complex cross-functional projects.
Excellent writing and verbal communication ability.
Proven ability to think, act, and produce results independently while working collaboratively, effectively, and transparently with others.
Existing relationships within the federal technology community and/or technology industry a plus.
Ability to think creatively and build a program from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities:

Work with the Senior Director to develop and execute BSA’s public-sector engagement program, with a primary focus on senior US federal government officials and executives from BSA member companies.
Develop and maintain relationships with senior federal technology, cybersecurity, acquisition, program, and other government leaders.
Build strong relationships with senior executives at BSA member companies and develop a deep understanding of their federal and public-sector priorities.
Identify opportunities for substantive engagement between BSA member executives and senior government leaders.
Develop the strategy, guest list, agenda, discussion topics, and participant preparation for small, invitation-only executive engagements.
Convene and facilitate candid, substantive discussions between government and industry leaders.
Maintain a sophisticated understanding of federal technology priorities, agency structures, acquisition and procurement processes, contracting environments, leadership changes, and emerging issues affecting BSA members.
Translate developments and insights from the federal marketplace into useful intelligence for BSA members and the broader BSA team.
Work closely with BSA’s policy, government affairs, membership, communications, and leadership teams to ensure that public-sector engagement supports BSA’s organizational priorities.
Oversee and manage the part-time event contractor responsible for the logistical and operational execution of program events, including establishing workplans, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables and monitoring execution.
Maintain overall responsibility for the quality and participant experience of each engagement, including invitations, briefing materials, venue and dining arrangements, communications, and on-site execution.
Ensure that program activities maintain appropriate boundaries between executive engagement, advocacy, procurement, and commercial activity and comply with applicable government ethics, antitrust, lobbying, and procurement requirements.
Track program participation, relationship development, member engagement, member recruitment and retention impact, and other measures of program value.
Provide regular updates to BSA leadership on program progress, results, opportunities, and lessons learned.

Compensation:

The salary range for this role is $175,000-$225,000. This does not reflect total compensation which includes base salary, benefits, and annual performance achievement bonus.

About BSA Benefits:

BSA recognizes that benefits play an important role in your selection of an employer. We offer generous benefits including many unique benefits and perks to our employees in locations around the world and encourage everyone to live a healthy, balanced life. Our comprehensive benefits include:

Generous health, disability, and life insurance
Paid time off and personal days
Exceptional 401k plan employer contributions
Year-end office shut down between Christmas and New Year’s
Three weeks’ paid sabbatical every five years
Generous paid maternity and bonding leave
Health/Fitness and Financial/Tax Advice allowance
Professional development, continuing education (including tuition reimbursement) and training
Hybrid work
And much more!

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Include the position title and location in the subject line of your email.

BSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity. We embrace and reflect diversity in our staff and seek skilled individuals who are motivated and passionate about the industry, our work and expansive community.

Thank you for your interest in career opportunities at the Business Software Alliance.