The Role
The Director of Business Development and Government Relations at Lumafield will build and manage government relationships, drive contract initiatives, and influence policy while executing the government vertical strategy.
Summary Generated by Built In
About Lumafield:
Lumafield was founded in 2019 to upgrade manufacturing.
We are engineers with deep experience across the product development cycle, from initial ideas to shipping hardware, across industries and specializations, who became frustrated by the cost and complexity of modern manufacturing. So we decided to upgrade it.
Engineers make million-dollar decisions every day, and they need tools that give them the greatest possible insight into their products. By offering unprecedented visibility into products, as well as AI-driven tools that highlight problems and generate quantitative data, Lumafield promises to revolutionize the way complex products are created, manufactured, and used across industries. We started with industrial CT scanning, which for us was the most valuable but underutilized tool in the manufacturing toolbox, enabling us to rapidly inspect essential components non-destructively.
We rebuilt the whole system, from X-ray capture, to computer vision analysis, to web-based collaboration, to the entire business model, making the most advanced manufacturing tech more accessible to every industry. Our company, like our platform, is designed for upgrades. We’re building for greater intelligence, autonomy, and speed. For deeper vision, operational excellence, and powerful insights. And then we'll upgrade it all again.
Lumafield is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, and has an office in San Francisco, CA.
About the role:
Lumafield is looking for a Director of Business Development and Government Relations to build and own our government and defense vertical. This is a hybrid role that spans business development, enterprise sales, and government affairs: you’ll navigate procurement processes within the Department of Defense; convert those relationships into the deployment of Lumafield systems across military installations, defense primes, and federal agencies; and work with government affairs partners to develop relationships with Congress.
The U.S. government is investing heavily in supply chain resilience, reshoring, innovation, and defense manufacturing modernization. Lumafield’s platform—industrial CT scanners, AI-powered inspection software, and cloud-based collaboration—is directly relevant to these priorities. We need someone who can connect our technology to the people and programs where it matters most, and who can drive that connection all the way through to signed contracts and deployed systems.
This role reports directly to the CEO and is based in Washington, D.C., with regular travel to Lumafield’s offices in Boston & San Francisco and to customer sites across the country.
What you'll do:
- Own all government and defense relationships end-to-end: executive branch policymakers, DoD acquisition program offices, decision makers in the military services, defense prime partners, and Congress.
- Build and manage a qualified pipeline of government and defense opportunities, driving each from initial engagement through procurement and contract signature
- Determine the right acquisition pathway for each opportunity—OTA, SBIR, GSA Schedule, direct procurement, defense prime subcontract—and manage the process from start to finish
- Shape requirements with program offices and acquisition professionals when solicitations are written for manufacturing inspection capabilities
- Build partnerships with defense innovation organizations—DIU, AFWERX, NavalX, DEVCOM—as procurement channels
- Develop and present the government vertical strategy to Lumafield leadership and the board, including pipeline forecasts, resource requirements, and a 12-month roadmap
- Brief Congress on Lumafield’s technology and monitor and influence defense policy, authorization, and appropriations priorities that create demand for manufacturing inspection and quality intelligence technology
About you:
- Defense procurement expertise: direct experience inside the DoD acquisition system—as a military acquisition officer, a civilian in a program office, or on the contractor side navigating FAR/DFARS, OTAs, SBIRs, or similar vehicles
- Hill experience: you have worked on Capitol Hill in a legislative or committee staff role, or have served as a liaison between DoD and Congress. You understand how defense authorization and appropriations work and how to brief staffers effectively
- An existing network of contacts across Congress, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, service branch acquisition commands, and the defense prime ecosystem.
- Enough technical fluency to credibly discuss non-destructive inspection, quality assurance, and manufacturing process control with military and defense audiences.
- 8–15+ years of combined military, government, and private-sector experience. A typical background might include 4–8 years of active-duty service, 2–4 years on the Hill or in government affairs, and 2–5 years in defense tech or government contracting
Bonus points:
- Military service: you are an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces with experience in logistics, acquisition, maintenance, or materiel command functions
- MBA, equivalent business training, or graduate degree
- Prior experience in defense manufacturing, sustainment, depot maintenance, or industrial base policy
- Experience with defense prime supply chain quality programs and with the defense innovation ecosystem: DIU, AFWERX, NavalX, In-Q-Tel, or similar organizations
- Experience selling or deploying hardware + software platforms (not just consulting or advisory services) into government customers
- An active security clearance or the ability to obtain one
Lumafield offers both competitive cash and equity compensation, as well as a health & wellness stipend, 401k, parental leave, flexible PTO, commuter benefits, company wide events and more!
Lumafield is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, because the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. Do you feel like your skills don’t meet every single requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway – If you’re excited about our technology, the opportunity, and are eager to learn more we’d love to hear from you!
In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information or veteran status.
Reach out if you want to be a part of what we are building.
Skills Required
- Defense procurement expertise, direct experience inside the DoD acquisition system
- Experience working on Capitol Hill in a legislative or committee staff role
- Existing network of contacts across Congress and the defense ecosystem
- Technical fluency in non-destructive inspection and manufacturing process control
- 8-15+ years of combined military, government, and private-sector experience
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The Company
What We Do
Lumafield is here to make it possible for humanity to solve our hardest problems as quickly as possible. Lumafield has developed the world's first accessible X-Ray CT scanner for engineers. Lumafield’s easy-to-use scanner and cloud-based software give engineers the ability to see their work clearly, inside and out, at an extremely affordable price. Engineers make million-dollar decisions every day, and they need tools that give them the greatest possible insight into their products. By offering unprecedented visibility into products, as well as AI-driven tools that highlight problems and generate quantitative data, Lumafield promises to revolutionize the way complex products are created, manufactured, and used across industries. Founded in 2019, our team includes world-class researchers and industrial designers, PhDs, founders of successful startups, and zero egos. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA and has an office in San Francisco, CA.
