Director of International Development

Make it rain. Make Snow. Make Earth Habitable.

Rainmaker builds and deploys audacious technologies that work with nature to create an abundant, habitable planet. We are modernizing proven cloud-seeding science with weather-resistant UAS, radar and satellite observations, numerical weather prediction, novel sensing and validation systems, and sustainable seeding technologies. We are building an integrated system to make more freshwater available to farms, ecosystems, and communities.

Our ambition is bold, but we pursue it with humility. We take on difficult problems in the real world with technical rigor, grit, integrity, and an openness to learning and course-correcting. We are hiring individuals with evidence of exceptional ability. If you want to build systems that endure, restore and deliver the future we were promised, we want to hear from you.

Rainmaker is pioneering a modern precipitation enhancement cloud seeding system to solve water scarcity. We develop and incorporate radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, and numerical weather modeling to make water abundant.

As Rainmaker’s Director of International Development, you will be the bridge between Rainmaker’s International Team and the U.S. federal government. You will own our engagement with the Department of State by building the programs, partnerships, and funding pathways that pair American precipitation enhancement technology with the water security needs of partner nations.

Water scarcity is a geopolitical problem before it is a technical one. Rainmaker’s goal is to make American cloud seeding the technology partner nations turn to, and this role is how we get there in Washington.

This position is based in Washington, DC and works as an embedded member of the International Team.

• State Department Engagement: Own Rainmaker’s relationship with the Department of State end to end, including regional and functional bureaus, embassies and country teams, and the offices that shape science, environment, energy, and technology diplomacy. Build durable relationships with senior career and political leadership.

• Program Development & Funding: Work alongside the International Team and our international partners to develop programs, then identify and secure the federal vehicles to fund them. These include foreign assistance mechanisms, development finance, export promotion, science and technology cooperation agreements, and multilateral channels. Own proposal development, submission, and follow-through.

• Congressional Engagement: Support Rainmaker’s relationships with the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, and with their accompanying appropriations subcommittees. Develop legislative proposals and appropriations language, and prepare member- and staff-level briefing materials that make the case for cloud seeding as an instrument of American foreign policy.

• Federal Liaison: Serve as the International Team’s primary interface with the U.S. government. Translate partner-country requirements into terms federal stakeholders can act on, and translate federal policy shifts into guidance the International Team can plan around. Coordinate closely with Rainmaker’s Federal Affairs team so that international and domestic engagement reinforce one another.

• Coalition & Community Building: Represent Rainmaker across Washington’s international affairs community, including NGOs, coalitions, and industry associations. Build the network of validators and allies that gives Rainmaker standing on these issues.

• Geopolitical Analysis: Track foreign cloud seeding and weather modification programs, the strategic implications of foreign leadership in this space, and the water security dynamics shaping partner-country demand. 

• Partner Government Engagement: Support the International Team’s engagement with foreign ministries, water and agriculture authorities, and multilateral institutions. Prepare principals for bilateral meetings, delegations, and site visits, and coordinate the U.S. government stakeholders involved.

• Cross-Functional Coordination: Partner with the Global Head of Business Development, Head of International, Federal Affairs, technical teams, regulatory, communications, legal, and finance to align international strategy with company priorities — including export control, sanctions, anti-corruption, and disclosure obligations attached to international work.

• Delegations & Demonstrations: Organize visits and field demonstrations for foreign officials, embassy staff, State Department leadership, and Congressional delegations, building first-hand understanding of what the technology does and where it fits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in foreign policy, international affairs, or international government relations, including time in the Department of State, the National Security Council, a Congressional foreign policy or foreign operations role, a development or export finance institution, an international organization, or the international affairs function of a comparable company.

• Demonstrated command of geopolitics and how technology, resources, and strategic competition intersect, with the judgment to make that case credibly to both policymakers and commercial partners.

• Working fluency in the emerging technology policy landscape, including autonomous systems, export controls, technology transfer, and the way emerging technologies are negotiated in bilateral and multilateral settings.

• Track record of developing international programs and securing government funding for them, including familiarity with foreign assistance appropriations and the mechanics of federal grant and cooperative agreement processes.

• Current relationships across the State Department, the Congressional foreign policy committees, and the Washington international affairs community.

• Experience working directly with foreign government counterparts, embassies, and international partners, with the cultural and protocol judgment that requires.

• Familiarity with the compliance landscape governing international engagement, such as FARA, LDA, ITAR/EAR, FCPA, and sanctions regimes.

• Ability to operate as both a strategist and a hands-on operator in a fast-paced startup environment, comfortable building a function from the ground up.

• Bachelor’s degree required. Foreign language proficiency and active or recent security clearance eligibility are a bonus.

• Must be based in DC with willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally for Hill engagement, agency meetings, partner-country visits, coalition work, and project site demonstrations.

Supporting the Rainmakers behind the mission

Making earth more habitable is ambitious work and we want the people doing it to feel supported:

• A stake in what we build: Meaningful stock options and the opportunity to help shape Rainmaker as an early member of the team.

• Support for your health: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family.

• An investment in your future: A 401(k) with employer matching to help you build long-term savings.

• Time to recharge: Unlimited PTO for rest, exploration, and the people and pursuits that matter to you plus a generous paid holiday schedule.

• Time for a growing family: Paid parental leave for both parents to welcome a child and spend time together.

• Lunch together: Daily lunch provided at our El Segundo headquarters, giving Rainmakers a chance to share a meal and connect with teammates.

• Help making the move: Relocation assistance for eligible roles to support your transition to Rainmaker.

Rainmaker Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

Employment decisions are made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Rainmaker provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and for other protected reasons as required by law. If you need accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, contact [email protected]. Requests for accommodation will be handled confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

Data Privacy

California applicants can review our California Applicant Privacy Notice. The notice explains the personal information we collect, how we use it, how long we retain it, and the privacy rights that may be available.

E-Verify

Rainmaker participates in E-Verify for U.S. Employees. To learn more, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-verify.gov.