---
title: 'VP, Washington Operations at Divergent'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/vp-washington-operations-divergent-torrance-zyhevm11xtsd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-24'
---

# VP, Washington Operations at Divergent

- **Company:** Divergent
- **Location:** Torrance, CA
- **Compensation:** $282k–$317k
- **Posted:** 2026-10-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-24
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/divergent/jobs/5460689008

## Job description

Divergent is building the new industrial age. Every day, our teams design, manufacture, and assemble advanced systems for some of the world’s most demanding industries. Our integrated engineering and manufacturing platform transforms complex designs into production-ready solutions, helping customers move faster, build smarter, and deliver critical systems when they matter most. Divergent is a qualified Tier 1 supplier to global automotive OEMs and supports leading U.S. aerospace and defense companies.

Join us and help push the boundaries of what can be built.

Purpose

Divergent Technologies is seeking a Vice President, Washington Operations to lead the strategic development of the company's newly formed Washington, DC / Northern Virginia office. Working at the intersection of business and government, the Vice President serves as Divergent's primary liaison to the Department of War and other Executive Branch agencies. This executive leads strategic engagements to advance Divergent's interests and, in particular, to identify, shape, and support the capture of business development and other strategic opportunities.

## The Role

Washington Office Leadership

- Represent Divergent as a senior, visible presence in the Washington defense and aerospace community, including the shaping and influence of business development and other strategic opportunities.
- Assist in establishing and leading the Washington, DC / Northern Virginia office, including its strategy, operating model, staffing plan, budget, and performance metrics.
- Assist in recruitment, development, and leadership of a high-caliber team of government relations, policy, and business development professionals as the office grows.

Government Liaison and Strategic Engagement

- Serve as the principal point of contact with the Department of War, the Military Departments, defense agencies, and other Executive Branch agencies, and the connective tissue between those stakeholders and the congressional defense committees' professional staff, as well as industry partners, think tanks, and trade associations.
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with senior acquisition, requirements, technology, and industrial base leaders and decision makers.
- Lead strategic engagements to position Divergent as a preferred partner for advanced manufacturing and defense industrial base priorities.
- Engage with the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and other Executive Branch stakeholders, as well as industry partners, think tanks, and trade associations, as appropriate.

Business Development and Capture

- Assist with identification, shaping, and qualification of new business opportunities in advance of formal solicitation.
- Partner with the Chief Commercial Officer and the Capture, Proposal, and Business Development teams to develop capture strategies and win themes.
- Provide customer insight, competitive intelligence, and budget and requirements analysis to inform pursuit decisions.
- Support teaming and partnership strategy with primes, nontraditional defense firms, and other industry partners.
- Contribute to bookings and revenue growth targets through disciplined pipeline development.

Policy, Budget, and Market Intelligence

- Monitor and interpret defense policy, budget formulation, acquisition reform, appropriations, and authorization activity that affect Divergent's markets.
- Advise executive leadership on policy and regulatory developments, risks, and opportunities.
- Support the Chief Commercial Officer's registered legislative engagement, and that of any outside advisors or future legislative affairs hire, with the technical, budget, and requirements substance behind Divergent's positions; this role is not a registered lobbyist and operates below Lobbying Disclosure Act registration thresholds, in full compliance with applicable law.

Compliance and Governance

- Ensure all government engagement complies with applicable laws and regulations, including lobbying disclosure, gift and ethics rules, procurement integrity requirements, and export control requirements.
- Establish internal protocols for Washington-based activity and customer contact.
- Advanced communications skills.
- Strategic thinking and opportunity shaping.
- Relationship building and influence.
- Entrepreneurial leadership in a start-up environment.
- Integrity, judgment, and discretion.
- Cross-functional collaboration with engineering, operations, technology, and finance.
- Results orientation and accountability.

Success Measures (First 12 Months)

- Washington office established and operating with defined metrics, in partnership with the Chief Commercial Officer.
- Executive-level relationships established with priority customers across the Department of War and key agencies.
- Assist in development of a qualified pipeline of shaped opportunities integrated with the corporate capture process.
- Measurable contribution to bookings targets, credited under an attribution method (or MBO structure) agreed with the Chief Commercial Officer and the head of Capture before the first shaped opportunity is handed off;
- Compliance framework for Washington engagement implemented.

## Basic Qualifications

- Current DoD security clearance or ability to obtain and retain clearance within 365 days from submission.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- 15 or more years of progressive experience in defense, aerospace, or national security business development, government relations, or senior government service.
- Demonstrated record of leading strategic engagements with the Department of War, the Military Departments, or other Executive Branch agencies.
- Proven experience identifying and shaping opportunities and contributing to major captures and awards.
- Deep understanding of the defense acquisition process, the federal budget cycle, and the defense industrial base.
- Established network of senior relationships within the Washington national security community.
- Experience building or leading teams, ideally including standing up a new office or function.
- Exceptional executive presence, communication, and negotiation skills.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Advanced degree.
- Experience with government contracting and/or advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing, or emerging defense technology companies.
- Familiarity with nontraditional acquisition pathways, including Other Transaction Authorities, SBIR/STTR, and rapid acquisition programs.
- Prior senior service in the Department, a Military Department, or a congressional or White House national security role.
- Experience supporting a growth-stage or venture-backed company.

Work Environment

- Based in Washington, DC / Northern Virginia.
- Regular travel to Divergent facilities in California and to customer sites is expected.

## Compensation

At Divergent, our pay range is based on the level of the job. For this role, we will consider candidates at level X01 as evaluated through our interview process.

- VP, Washington Operations/ X01: $282,220 - $317,490

Pay Range $282,220—$317,490 USD

What We Offer:

- Holistic Compensation Package: Enjoy a world-class compensation package that includes a competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results-based incentive bonus opportunities, ensuring you're truly valued for your contributions.
- Wellness and Time Off: Embrace a healthy lifestyle with paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays, including a year-end shutdown to recharge. We support growing families with paid parental leave, recognizing the importance of bonding time.
- Comprehensive Health and Wellness: Prioritize your well-being with our comprehensive health and wellness benefits, offering both HMO and Premium PPO options. Additionally, benefit from company-sponsored life insurance and short and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind.
- Investment in Growth: We're committed to your professional development. Take advantage of reimbursement opportunities for learning and development initiatives, empowering you to continuously expand your skill set and reach peak performance.
- Collaborative and High-Performing Environment: Join our collaborative, dynamic, and high-performing team within a fast-paced, mission-driven company. Together, we're disrupting the traditional manufacturing industry, fostering innovation, and integrating people and technology to reduce our footprint.

## Equal Employment Opportunity

Divergent is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected characteristic. Divergent provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act. [EEO Poster](https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf)

In order to adjust to changes in our business, it may become necessary to add, remove or modify certain duties and responsibilities, or to reassign you to another job position. From time to time you may be asked to work on special projects or to assist with other work. Your cooperation and assistance in performing such additional work is expected.

E-Verify: Right to Work Our company participates in [E-Verify](https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf). E-Verify is a program that electronically confirms a candidate’s eligibility to work in the United States after completing the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9). The information provided on the Form I-9 is compared to the records contained in the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases. This helps employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees. https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/IER_RightToWorkPoster.pdf | https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RighttoWorkPosterES.pdf

Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO) Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO), we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

No agencies, no solicitations, and no calls please.

## About Divergent

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Divergent provides a software-defined end-to-end digital manufacturing platform (DAPS™) that enables the design, additive manufacturing, and automated assembly of complex metal structures for aerospace, defense, and automotive applications.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series E)
- **Headquarters**: Torrance, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Lukas Czinger (CEO & President)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Industrial Manufacturing
- **Target customers**: B2B – primarily large aerospace/defense primes (e.g., Raytheon, KAI, U.S. Army) and automotive OEMs; also government agencies (Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense)
- **Mission**: To build the 21st century industrial base by delivering a software-defined production platform that enables faster development cycles, flexible manufacturing capacity, and resilient supply chains for mission-critical hardware. [divergent.us](https://www.divergent.us/)

## Products & Services
- **Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS™)**: A fully integrated software-hardware platform that combines AI‑enabled engineering design optimization, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L‑PBF) 3D printing with application‑specific alloys, and a universal robotic assembly process that requires no design‑specific tooling. It allows different products to be produced on the same platform on the same day. [divergent.us](https://www.divergent.us/)
- **Design & Engineering Services**: Computational design, structural analysis, and optimization for complex metal structures.
- **Additive Manufacturing Production**: Qualified for U.S. Army ground vehicle parts and aerospace components; capable of producing mission‑critical hardware at scale.
- **Sustainment & Aftermarket**: Responsive, low‑cost production of replacement parts for legacy systems (e.g., naval systems with Raytheon). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed (conflicting reports on total funding – see below).
- **Key Metrics**:
  - **Annual Revenue**: $95M (as of 2026) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
  - **Total Funding**: Conflicting reports – $895M (CB Insights) vs. $1.1B (LinkedIn). Latest round: $250M Series E led by Rochefort Management (closed Sep 2025). [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/divergent-microfactories) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Rochefort Management, Hexagon, Bridge Bank, John L. Thornton, Hedosophia, Apollo Future Mobility Group, Lateralus Ventures. Key partners include Raytheon (RTX), Mach Industries, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), U.S. Army, Missile Defense Agency. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d) | [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/divergent-microfactories)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew 53.8% YoY to 324 employees (as of mid‑2026). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
  - Active job postings: 66 (monthly growth +46.7%, yearly +312.5%). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
  - In Feb 2026, qualified for U.S. Army ground vehicle parts production using L‑PBF. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
  - In Jan 2026, awarded a position on the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD IDIQ ($151B ceiling). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
  - In Feb 2026, partnered with Mach Industries to move a clean‑sheet concept (Venom) to flight hardware in just 71 days. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
  - In Aug 2025, partnered with Raytheon to redesign and deliver critical naval systems using DAPS. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Software‑defined manufacturing**: DAPS eliminates fixed tooling and upfront capex, enabling rapid design iteration and production of different parts on the same line.
- **Speed to production**: Demonstrated ability to go from concept to flight‑ready hardware in 71 days (Venom with Mach Industries).
- **Material & process agnostic**: Uses patented 3D printing processes and application‑specific alloys; has filed 53 patents covering 3D printing, manufacturing, and assembly. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/divergent-microfactories)
- **Defense‑grade certifications**: Qualified for U.S. Army ground vehicle parts and holds positions on major defense contracts (SHIELD, etc.).
- **Vertical integration**: Covers design, printing, assembly, and sustainment in‑house, reducing supply chain risk.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale manufacturing capacity**: Expanding DAPS factories in Torrance and Long Beach to meet growing defense and aerospace demand.
- **Deepen defense relationships**: Leveraging recent wins (SHIELD, Army qualification, Raytheon partnership) to become a prime supplier for mission‑critical hardware.
- **Accelerate new capabilities**: Continuing development of new alloys, larger‑format printing, and AI‑driven design optimization.
- **Expand into adjacent industries**: Automotive and industrial sectors remain secondary but active markets.

## Why Work Here
- **High‑growth environment**: Revenue of $95M with 53.8% headcount growth and a surge in job postings (66 open roles as of mid‑2026). Strong trajectory for career advancement.
- **Engineering‑centric culture**: 37% of employees in technical roles; heavy focus on software engineering, robotics, additive manufacturing, and structural analysis. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
- **Work location**: All current job listings are based in Torrance, California (on‑site). No explicit remote/hybrid policy found.
- **Compensation & culture**: Employee rating 3.7/5 (67 reviews) with compensation scored 4.1/5 and culture 3.3/5. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
- **Notable alumni flow**: Many employees come from SpaceX, Relativity Space, Northrop Grumman, Velo3D, and other advanced manufacturing / aerospace companies, indicating a high‑caliber peer group. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
- **Mission‑driven**: Opportunity to work on cutting‑edge digital manufacturing that directly impacts national defense and aerospace innovation.

## Sources
1. [divergent.us](https://www.divergent.us/)
2. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/divergent-microfactories)
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/divergent3d)
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/divergent)

## Other roles at Divergent

- [CAE/PLM Architect (Design)](https://feeny.ai/job/cae-plm-architect-design-divergent-torrance-nbvvk1dmhx45) — Torrance, CA
- [Principal Product Manager (Design)](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-product-manager-design-divergent-torrance-t06x5n530t81) — Torrance, CA
- [Senior Equipment Engineer - Mechanical](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-equipment-engineer-mechanical-divergent-long-beach-2kwsqnt91mb0) — Long Beach, CA / Torrance, CA
- [Senior Equipment Engineer - Electrical](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-equipment-engineer-electrical-divergent-long-beach-me4ft01hv2x4) — Long Beach, CA / Torrance, CA
- [AM Supervisor - Heat Treat, EDM, Bandsaw, Media Blast](https://feeny.ai/job/am-supervisor-heat-treat-edm-bandsaw-media-blast-divergent-long-beach-kcjekr96vq2x) — Long Beach, CA / Torrance, CA
- [VP, Washington Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/vp-washington-operations-divergent-torrance-hnnm6503btgn) — Torrance, CA
- [Lead Metrology & Inspection Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-metrology-inspection-technician-divergent-torrance-xnv1ej4cq734) — Torrance, CA
- [Automation & Controls Engineer (SCADA)](https://feeny.ai/job/automation-controls-engineer-scada-divergent-torrance-gwparkyyz1we) — Torrance, CA
- [Operations Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-analyst-divergent-long-beach-p4d6rnxme64y) — Long Beach, CA / Torrance, CA
- [Senior Electrical Engineer, Factory Development](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electrical-engineer-factory-development-divergent-long-beach-bjefd0d5ac6a) — Long Beach, CA