Director, Non-Destructive Evaluation

Divergent; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 222,000 - 305,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity plan

Discretionary bonus

Paid time off

Parental leave

Health insurance

Disability coverage

Learning & development

Job summary

Divergent seeks a Director of Non-Destructive Evaluation to own strategy, roadmap, and operational excellence for NDE across method development and production inspection in Los Angeles. You will lead teams, define standards, and push novel NDE approaches for our DAPS manufacturing system.

This role requires 10+ years in NDE with active Level III certification and a strong link to manufacturing and design requirements.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of NDE, manufacturing, or related engineering experience.
• Active Level III certification in RT/CT/UT-PAUT or PT.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field.
• Experience leading NDE engineering and production inspection operations.
• Experience developing and qualifying NDE procedures for production.
• Experience specifying and qualifying NDE capital equipment.
• Ability to access information subject to US export controls.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

NDE leadership

Production inspection

Aerospace experience

Team building

Technical governance

Equipment qualification

NDE methods knowledge

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

RT/CT/UT/PAUT

NDE capital equipment

Level III cert RT/CT/UT/PAUT/PT

Job description

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 Director, Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) owns the strategy, roadmap, engineering maturity, and operational excellence of Divergent’s NDE capabilities. This leader will build and lead the NDE organization across both method development and production inspection, ensuring Divergent meets customer and industry requirements while advancing the state of the art in automated, digitally integrated inspection.

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.

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.

EEO Poster

EEO Poster

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.

Eligibility to Work Poster

Eligibility to Work Poster (English) | Eligibility to Work Poster (Spanish)

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.