Business Operations, Federal

Who we are

Arena Physica is on a mission to accelerate hardware innovation that powers human progress. Our name is inspired by Theodore Roosevelt's 'Citizenship in a Republic' speech. To us, entering the Arena means committing fully and accepting the risk of failure in pursuit of an audacious, worthy cause. We believe the future belongs to those brave enough to build it.

Our team of 60 combines AI engineering and applied physics expertise with deep experience in enterprise deployments. We're headquartered in NYC with presences in San Francisco and Los Angeles, backed by ~$90M from Initialized, Founders Fund, Goldcrest Capital, Fifth Down Capital, and Shield Capital.

If you're ready to do the most important work of your career, join us in the Arena.

What we do

At Arena Physica, we're building electromagnetic superintelligence. Our AI platform Atlas operationalizes physics-grounded intelligence to verify, debug, and optimize hardware across its lifecycle. Atlas is already trusted globally by the world's most advanced hardware companies, including AMD, Anduril, and Bausch & Lomb, for applications across R&D, integration testing, production assembly, and field repair.

About the role

As a founding member of our Federal team, you will partner directly with our Head of Federal to scale this business unit. You'll wear multiple hats, jumping into internal and external problems, and own problems end to end.

On fast timelines, you'll move between domains as the company's priorities shift: one week you might be writing a proposal for a new government program, the next you're signing up a partnership with a strategic program and creating a market expansion strategy.

You'll be trusted to operate with significant autonomy, to make recommendations that influence company strategy, and to follow through on the execution to makes those strategies real.

How you will contribute

• Own government opportunity submissions end to end - track solicitations across the agencies and programs, author proposals in partnership with our engineering team, and own compliance requirements
• Drive outreach and partnerships - proactively identify strategic partners, develop relationships with program offices, and shape how we communicate our technology with the government
• Build deep company fluency - deeply embed in the company's technology, customers, economics, and organization and be an expert across our processes so you can support any project
• Build a repeatable, scalable operational engine - this includes opportunity qualification, pipeline management, forecasting, and cross-functional coordination
• Design and run systems - connect pipeline, program execution, and financial outcomes to give leadership the visibility to make faster, better-informed decisions
• Travel domestically and internationally (up to 30% of your time)
• Work in person at Arena Physica's NYC HQ when not traveling

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience, ideally in investment banking, management consulting, or a high-growth startup with a focus on aerospace, defense, or government affairs
• An incredibly high bar for quality, with deep intensity and drive – this role will be demanding and require long hours to solve complex problems
• Strong written and verbal communication & storytelling – you can move fluidly from investor-ready financial models to polished customer presentations, communicating clearly and concisely to a wide variety of stakeholders
• A track record of creative problem solving and owning impact at scale - you have a reputation for making magic happen
• A deep scrappiness and intrinsic desire to win despite the odds
• Background in national security, defense tech, gov tech or federal program management preferred

Benefits & Perks Include:

• 100% of the monthly premiums covered with Aetna medical vision, and dental insurance for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Unlimited PTO
• Lunch every day from local restaurants via Sharebite
• Relocation support provided

The base salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000 yr. However, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to base salary, we also offer competitive equity and benefits packages.

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.