Lead European Institutions and French Public Affairs

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. The Lead – European Institutions & French Public Affairs is responsible for designing and executing the company’s public affairs strategy at EU and French levels, in close coordination with the Chief Government Officer In a fast-growing startup environment, this role combines strategic policy leadership, direct institutional engagement, and hands-on execution. The position requires strong autonomy, political judgement, and the ability to translate complex regulatory developments into clear business and strategic implications for executive leadership. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES STRATEGY & EXECUTIVE ADVISORY - Co-define EU and French public affairs strategy with the CGO, aligned with the company’s growth, funding, and market-access objectives. - Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive team on political, regulatory, and institutional matters. - Identify policy-driven risks and opportunities (regulation, funding, industrial policy, sovereignty, public procurement). - Anticipate regulatory roadmaps and translate them into actionable business recommendations. EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS LEADERSHIP - Lead engagement with EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU) and key ecosystem stakeholders. - Own priority EU policy files end-to-end: monitoring, analysis, positioning, and advocacy execution. - Draft and validate position papers, consultation responses, and strategic briefings for senior leadership. - Represent the company in EU forums, industry coalitions, and strategic alliances. FRENCH PUBLIC AFFAIRS LEADERSHIP - Lead relationships with French ministries, Parliament, regulators, agencies, and institutional partners. - Drive French public affairs actions in close alignment with EU-level strategy. - Support CEO and CGO in high-level French institutional meetings, including preparation of messaging and briefings. HANDS-ON EXECUTION IN A STARTUP CONTEXT - Personally execute key public affairs actions (no large team or heavy hierarchy). - Build lightweight but effective public affairs processes adapted to a startup environment. - Contribute to funding-related policy work (EU programs, national schemes, public support mechanisms). INTERNAL ALIGNMENT & COMMUNICATION - Work closely with future projects, legal, business development, and communications teams. - Ensure consistent messaging across EU and French public affairs activities. - Provide concise, decision-ready updates to leadership (CEO, CGO, ExCom when relevant). REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & PROFILE - Master’s degree in European Studies, Political Science, Law, Public Policy, or equivalent. - 5-7+ years of experience in EU and/or French public affairs, ideally with exposure to startups, scale-ups, or fast-moving regulated sectors. - Proven experience engaging directly with EU institutions and French public authorities at senior level. - Track record of advising executives and operating in politically sensitive, ambiguous environments. - Strong understanding of how public policy impacts business models, funding, and market access. KEY SKILLS & MINDSET - Strategic thinker with a builder’s mindset: comfortable creating structure from scratch. - Highly autonomous, pragmatic, and execution-oriented. - Excellent political judgement and stakeholder management skills. - Clear, concise communicator able to brief effectively. - Comfortable switching between big-picture strategy and detailed policy work. LANGUAGES - French: native or fluent - English: fluent - Additional EU languages are a plus WHY JOIN US - Direct impact on the company’s strategic positioning and growth - High visibility role with the CEO and leadership team - Opportunity to shape public affairs in a fast-scaling startup environment - Exposure to EU and French po