2026 Early Career Mechanical Engineer

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Platinum Healthcare Benefits

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking Mechanical Engineers for roles in Costa Mesa, CA, starting quarterly in 2026. The ideal candidates will design and build prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful projects to production.

Responsibilities include running analysis, presenting design reviews, and ensuring the use of first principles physics in decision-making. A degree in relevant engineering fields is required, along with a hands-on fabrication background and CAD skills.

Qualifications

• Must be pursuing or have recently completed a relevant degree.
• Experience of 3 months - 2 years in a technical environment.
• High competence with engineering first principles.

Responsibilities

• Design & build prototypes and analyze failures.
• Present design reviews and run analysis.
• Use first principles physics for decision making.

Skills

Hands-on fabrication skills

CAD skills

Engineering first principles

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI‑powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting‑edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for Mechanical Engineers to join our rapidly growing team! We have positions open in Costa Mesa, CA. These roles are targeted to start on a quarterly basis beginning in 2026. We hire self‑motivated people, those who hold a higher bar for themselves than anyone else could hold for them. If you are eager to solve tough problems, then this role might be for you!

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Design & build prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful projects into production.
• Present design reviews, run analysis, visit vendors, design & execute hardware test plans.
• Use first principles physics as a basis for every decision.
• Get exposure to missile integration and testing.
• Travel to test sites and vendors as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be pursuing or have recently completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 3 months - 2 years of technical work to include technical internship and able to start full time in 2026.
• Demonstrated hands‑on fabrication or laboratory skills.
• CAD skills (any platform) and ability to make high quality engineering drawings that meet common industry standards.
• High competence with, and fluid use of, engineering first principles.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities; US clearance eligibility may be required depending on program.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to integrate electrical components into designs (motors, controllers, sensors etc.).
• Experience with machining, sheet metal, injection molding, and/or 3D printing.
• Have a bias for action. If you see a problem, you want to solve and fix it.
• Be naturally curious about the technologies and tools you use.
• Low-ego, high ownership, and mission oriented.

Anduril is an equal‑opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. If you are someone passionate to work on problems that matter, we’d love to hear from you!

US Salary Range: $100,000 – $110,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril’s total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top‑tier benefits for full‑time employees, including:

• Platinum Healthcare Benefits: For U.S. roles, we offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.
  • For UK roles, Private Medical Insurance (PMI): Anduril will cover the full cost of the insurance premium for an employee and dependents.
  • For AUS roles, Private health plan through Bupa: Coverage is fully subsidized by Anduril.
• Basic Life/AD&D and long‑term disability insurance 100% covered by Anduril, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a holiday hiatus in December, and highly competitive PTO plans.
• 16 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave to care for a family member, bond with your baby, or tend to your own medical condition.
• Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility (eg, IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits and resources to provide support from planning to parenting.
• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy, life coaching, and more. Additional work‑life services, such as free legal and financial support, available to you as well.
• A professional development stipend is available to all Andurilians.
• Daily Meals and Provisions: For many of our offices this means breakfast, lunch and fully stocked micro‑kitchens.
• Company‑funded commuter benefits available based on your region.
• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility).
• 401(k) retirement savings plan - both a traditional and Roth 401(k). (US roles only)

The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process.

Anduril is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The Anduril team is made up of incredibly talented and unique individuals, who together are disrupting industry norms by creating new paths towards the future of defense technology. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process. If you are someone passionate about working on problems that have a real‑world impact, we'd love to hear from you!

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.