Government Ops Lead

Pilgrim

• $110K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years in defense business development or government contracting
  • Experience with funded pilots or programs for emerging technologies
  • Background in combat casualty care, tactical medicine, or force protection
  • Familiarity with DoD or intelligence community acquisition pathways
  • Proficiency in creating persuasive briefs and presentations
  • Experience engaging military operators and decision-makers

Responsibilities

  • Map defense agencies to identify key decision-makers and funding sources
  • Build strategies for priority government accounts and outreach plans
  • Drive business development from initial research to contract execution
  • Create comprehensive visual materials for stakeholder engagement
  • Track budget activities, policies, and competitive dynamics
  • Transform customer feedback into actionable recommendations for product teams
  • Represent Pilgrim at government meetings and military installations

Benefits

  • Opportunities for travel to military and government sites
  • Engagement with innovative projects in defense technology
  • Collaboration with top-tier professionals in the field
  • Involvement in national defense initiatives
  • Potential for professional development and skill enhancement
Full Job Description
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.


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