Director of Government Affairs

What Timken makes possible begins with you.
Those who came before us helped land a man on the moon, create the world's infrastructure, and introduce renewable energy alternatives. Now you can join the Timken team to write your own unique story and help drive what's next.

A career at Timken means you can have an immediate impact doing Work That Matters to the world— improving the efficiency of today's industrial equipment and preparing for the future of motion on our planet and beyond. New employees can start contributing right away, and there are many opportunities to advance your career at your own pace. Join our global team of 19,000 people in 45 countries, and start helping our customers push the limits of what's possible in their world of motion.

The Director of Government Affairs serves as the leader of the company's enterprise-wide government affairs and advocacy strategies. Responsible for navigating complex regulations, tariffs and global trade to advance the Company’s strategic business objectives and identify opportunities for growth through government incentives and procurement. This role will involve extensive interaction with government officials on key issues of policy for the Company, management of a political action committee, and extensive interaction with business leaders, trade associations and other stakeholders.

Core Responsibilities: 

• Strategic Advocacy and Relationship Management: Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive government affairs strategy across federal, state and local levels that establishes a strong presence in Washington, D.C. and builds strong relationships with Congress, the executive branch and lobbying consultants. Additionally, refine and help guide the External Affairs approach in international markets in which the Company operates.
• Policy & Regulatory Analysis: Monitor and analyze emerging legislation (e.g., trade, tax, energy transition, and industrial modernization) to assess potential risks or opportunities for the business.
• Coalition Leadership: Represent company interests within industry trade associations and advocacy groups to align policy messaging across the sector.
• Compliance & PAC Management: Ensure strict adherence to lobbying disclosure and ethics laws while managing the company's Political Action Committee (PAC) and contribution strategies.
• Internal Advisory: Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on political dynamics and the impact of government actions on corporate operations. Serve as a champion of government affairs, building relationships and effectively communicating enterprise-level priorities and risks to cross functional teams, ensuring government affairs considerations are integrated into business strategies and decision-making processes.

Key Qualifications: 

• Experience: Typically requires 10–15+ years of experience in government relations, public policy, or lobbying, ideally with direct experience on Capitol Hill or within relevant federal agencies.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of manufacturing-specific issues such as supply chain resilience, industrial base modernization, sustainability (circularity), and international trade policy.
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, or a related field is required; a Master’s degree or JD is preferred.
• Critical Skills: Exceptional persuasive communication, high emotional intelligence for complex negotiations, and the ability to translate technical industrial data into compelling policy narratives. 

All qualified applicants shall be treated equally according to their individual qualifications, abilities, experiences and other employment standards. There will be no discrimination due to gender or gender identity, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran/military status or any other basis protected by applicable law.