---
title: 'Government Ops at Pilgrim'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/government-ops-pilgrim-redwood-city-1pv86r9rbvnj'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Government Ops at Pilgrim

- **Company:** Pilgrim
- **Location:** Redwood City, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-23
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/pilgrim/3b43d01b-1f28-4e06-af7b-3509fb99a9fa

## Job description

About Pilgrim:

Pilgrim develops and deploys 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.

Pilgrim is not a research institute or academic lab - we engineer hardware for biology, turning breakthrough science into fielded capabilities. Located in Redwood City, our team pairs mechanical and electrical engineering with chemistry and biology to bring critical technologies to the people who need them.

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 will identify where Pilgrim's capabilities can solve urgent mission needs and understand how defense and federal agencies evaluate, fund, and adopt new technology. Your job is to turn that understanding into contracts, pilots, and long-term government partnerships.

You will carry the work both in writing and in person: producing clear briefs, memos, proposals, and customer-facing materials, and meeting directly with operators, acquisition officials, program leaders, and agency stakeholders. 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

- Experience in combat casualty care, tactical medicine, or CBRN response, including familiarity with battlefield triage, prolonged field care, or force protection in contested environments.
- Defense business development, acquisition strategy, or government contracting experience, with a track record of navigating DoD or IC landscapes, identifying key stakeholders, and securing funding for emerging technologies.
- Strong writing, research, and communication skills, with the ability to distill complex material into clear, persuasive narratives.
- Skilled at engaging decision-makers, adapting to different audiences, and operating in high-stakes settings.
- Highly autonomous, able to work through ambiguity, build strategy, and execute under pressure.

## About Pilgrim

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Pilgrim develops, validates, and deploys battlefield-ready biotechnology solutions to enhance the resilience and capabilities of military personnel.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Redwood City, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (company was started by a 21-year-old founder, per Business Insider, but name not listed in available sources)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Defense and Space Manufacturing / Military Biotechnology
- Target customers: U.S. Department of Defense, allied militaries, and national security agencies (B2G)
- Mission: "Where biology meets the battlefield" — building the warfighter of tomorrow by transforming breakthrough science into decisive capabilities for those who operate at the edge.

## Products & Services
- **[Kingsfoil](https://pilgrimlabs.com/)**: A hemostatic dressing that seals wounds and promotes healing – designed for battlefield and civilian use. (Medical device)
- **[Voyager](https://pilgrimlabs.com/)**: An inhaled mist intended to neutralize chemical threats, protecting warfighters from chemical warfare agents. (Biotechnology product)
- **[ARGUS](https://pilgrimlabs.com/)**: A surveillance platform for detecting biological and chemical hazards in high-risk environments. (Monitoring / detection system)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$7.55 million**, including a $4.3 million Seed round (March 2025) and a $3.2 million Pre-Seed round (March 2025), plus an earlier Angel round (November 2023)
- **Notable Investors**: Cantos (Seed lead), Thiel Capital, Refactor, and others
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Headcount grew 50% year-over-year (from ~2 to 4 employees as of mid-2025)
  - 8 open positions posted on hiring platforms, indicating aggressive expansion
  - Featured in Business Insider (Aug 2025) for founder’s high-risk demonstration to secure funding

## Competitive Advantages
- First-mover focusing purely on **battlefield-ready biotechnology** for human performance and protection
- **Backed by prominent defense/tech investors** (Peter Thiel, Cantos, Refactor) lending credibility and network
- **Small, agile team** enables rapid prototyping and deployment of novel solutions
- Product pipeline addresses urgent, unmet needs (hemostatic control, chemical neutralization, bio-threat detection)

## Strategic Focus
- Move from concept to field-deployable products: Kingsfoil, Voyager, and ARGUS are in validation and testing phases
- Scale manufacturing and expand government contracts
- Continue building a talent-dense engineering and biotech team
- Extend dual-use applications (military and civilian emergency medicine)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture** with direct impact on national security and warfighter survivability
- **Small, early-stage company** (currently 4 employees) offering outsized responsibility and the chance to shape product direction
- **In-office presence** in Redwood City, CA; some hybrid roles available (e.g., Biomedical Engineer on Built In)
- **Recent funding** provides runway and signals investor confidence
- **Exciting technical challenges** spanning electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and industrial design – as seen in open roles

## Sources
1. [pilgrimlabs.com](https://pilgrimlabs.com/)
2. [LinkedIn – Pilgrim](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pilgrimlabs)
3. [Built In – Pilgrim](https://builtin.com/company/pilgrim)
4. [VentureRadar – Pilgrim, Inc.](https://www.ventureradar.com/organisation/Pilgrim,%20Inc_%5Bdot%5D_/f199410e-2af6-4f52-af75-4125b4970d99)
5. [Black Flag Job Board – Pilgrim](https://www.blackflag.vc/hiring/pilgrim)

## Other roles at Pilgrim

- [Scientist](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-pilgrim-redwood-city-916e4q85xtdz) — Redwood City, CA
- [Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-pilgrim-redwood-city-sm3d2kfwwqe6) — Redwood City, CA
- [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-pilgrim-redwood-city-s22hyq21bkqf) — Redwood City, CA