Director, Non-Destructive Evaluation

Divergent; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 222,000 - 305,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holistic compensation

Equity plan

Discretionary bonus opportunities

Paid vacation

Paid parental leave

Health insurance

Disability coverage

Learning and development reimbursement

Collaborative environment

Job summary

Divergent is seeking a senior NDE leader in California to drive the quality and reliability of our DAPS manufacturing platform. You will build and lead the NDE engineering team and production inspection organization, owning the enterprise NDE strategy across materials, processes, and product applications.

The role requires extensive experience in NDE methods (RT, CT, PT, UT/PAUT), certification at Level III, and a track record of qualifying procedures and equipment for production environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of NDE, manufacturing, materials, or related engineering experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Active level III certification in RT, CT, UT/PAUT, or PT.
• Experience developing and qualifying NDE procedures for production.
• Experience procuring and qualifying NDE capital equipment.
• Proven ability to lead NDE engineering and production inspection teams.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the NDE engineering team and production inspection organization.
• Own the enterprise NDE strategy and technology roadmap across materials and processes.
• Lead development, validation, and qualification of RT, CT, PT, UT/PAUT methods.
• Establish standardized inspection workflows, training, calibration, and governance.
• Develop novel NDE approaches for the DAPS manufacturing system.
• Integrate NDE data into MES, traceability, and the digital thread.
• Serve as the senior NDE technical authority and partner with design, manufacturing, production, and quality.
• Support product development, process qualification, root-cause investigations, and acceptance criteria.

Skills

NDE engineering

Manufacturing experience

Materials science background

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field

Tools

NDE capital equipment

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

The Technology organization is the engine that creates DAPS, the 21st-century automated design and manufacturing platform accelerating advancements in aerospace & defense and high-volume automotive markets.

The Role

• Build and lead both the NDE engineering team and production inspection organization.
• Own the enterprise NDE strategy and technology roadmap across multiple materials, manufacturing processes, and product applications.
• Lead development, validation, and qualification of methods including RT, CT, PT, UT/PAUT, and emerging inspection technologies.
• Establish standardized inspection workflows, training, certification, calibration, equipment controls, and technical governance.
• Develop novel NDE approaches suited to Divergent’s fixtureless, adaptable DAPS manufacturing system, rather than simply replicating legacy inspection practices.
• Integrate NDE equipment and inspection data into MES, traceability, automated disposition, and the broader DAPS digital thread.
• Serve as Divergent’s senior NDE technical authority and partner closely with Materials, Design, Manufacturing, Production, Factory Development, and Quality.
• Support product development, process qualification, root-cause investigations, customer requirements, and acceptance-criteria development.

Basic Qualifications

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US export controls.
• 10+ years of NDE, manufacturing, materials, or related engineering experience, preferably in aerospace, defense, or space.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field.
• Demonstrated experience leading both NDE engineering and production inspection operations.
• Active level III certification in at least one of the following RT, CT, UT/PAUT, or PT.
• Experience developing and qualifying NDE procedures and deploying them into production.
• Experience specifying, procuring, installing, and qualifying NDE capital equipment.
• Demonstrated experience building teams and technical capabilities from the ground up.
• Strong engineering and operational background, with the ability to connect NDE results to materials, manufacturing processes, design requirements, and production performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with inspection of additive manufactured hardware, structural adhesive joints, or aerospace weldments.
• Current or past level III certification in multiple NDE methods
• Strong knowledge of aerospace NDE standards, qualification requirements, and quality systems (AMS, ASTM, MIL, …).

Pay Range: $222,130 USD - $305,430 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

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. 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.

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.