Government Ops Lead

About the role

ABOUT PILGRIM: Pilgrim is building America’s biology prime - engineering, manufacturing, and deploying advanced biotechnology for defense and national security. Our primary platform, ARGUS, is a fully autonomous system for detecting biological threats in near real time, from naturally occurring pathogens to engineered agents. We engineer hardware for biology, turning breakthrough science into fielded capabilities. Based in Redwood City, our team brings together mechanical and electrical engineering, chemistry, and biology under one roof to deliver critical technologies to the people who need them. Pilgrim has raised over $30 million to date and is backed by Peter Thiel, Brian Armstrong, Fred Ehrsam, Dylan Field, and Bryan Johnson, alongside Buckley Ventures, Conviction, Cantos, and others. ABOUT THE ROLE: We are looking for a Government Ops Lead at Pilgrim to own our engagement across the federal government and ensure our solutions reach the warfighter. You’ll identify urgent mission needs, understand how agencies evaluate, fund, and adopt new technology, and turn opportunities into pilots, contracts, and long-term government partnerships. You’ll carry the work in writing and in person: producing clear briefs, proposals, and customer materials, and meeting directly with operators, acquisition officials, and program leaders. The right person is a self-starter who finds the path to an outcome and walks it. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Map defense, intelligence, and federal health agencies to understand the offices, units, programs, decision-makers, funding sources, contracting vehicles, and acquisition pathways relevant to Pilgrim. - Build account and capture strategies for priority government customers, including who to engage, what problem to lead with, what funding path to pursue, and what steps are needed to advance the opportunity. - Drive business development from initial research and outreach through meetings, proposals, pilots, funded programs, and contracts. - Create briefing decks, diagrams, stakeholder maps, and other visual materials using Figma, PowerPoint, or similar tools. - Track relevant programs, solicitations, budget activity, policy priorities, agency initiatives, and competitive dynamics. - Turn customer conversations, mission requirements, and market research into clear recommendations for Pilgrim's product, engineering, and leadership teams. - Represent Pilgrim in government meetings, field visits, conferences, exercises, demonstrations, and partner engagements, traveling frequently to military installations, government sites, and operational units. - Support sensitive or classified government programs where discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment are required. QUALIFICATIONS: - Track record in defense business development, acquisition, or government contracting, including independently advancing opportunities into funded pilots, programs, or contracts for emerging technologies. - Operational experience in combat casualty care, tactical medicine, CBRN response, or force protection. - Working knowledge of DoD or intelligence community acquisition pathways, funding sources, and contracting vehicles. - Ability to research complex technical and operational topics and turn findings into clear, persuasive briefs, proposals, and presentations. - Experience briefing and engaging military operators, acquisition officials, program leaders, or agency decision-makers, adapting the message to their priorities and securing concrete next steps. - Must be a U.S. Person. Pilgrim is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Certain positions require access to export-controlled information and are limited to U.S. Persons as defined by applicable export control regulations.