Associate Director, Production (Missiles)

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 183,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Long Beach, CA is seeking an Associate Director, Production (Missiles) to oversee manufacturing and production lifecycle. You will drive efficiency, manage schedules, and lead cross-functional teams to ensure on-time, within-scope delivery for defense programs.

The role involves travel up to 25% and requires a strong background in operations program management within hardware industries, with preparation for a future base in Long Beach as plans unfold.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field.
• 12+ years in operations program management, production, manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, supply chain, production workflows.
• Experience launching new products with condensed timelines.
• Experience with project management methodologies (Agile, Lean, TPS, Six Sigma).
• Proficiency with PM tools (Jira, Confluence, MS Project).
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, organizational skills.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities for cross-functional alignment.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Process optimization to enhance production efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness.
• Budget and cost control, tracking progress and issues.
• Regular stakeholder communication on status, risks and solutions.
• Resource management for materials, labor and equipment.
• Risk management to mitigate timelines and readiness.
• Cross-functional collaboration to align pre-production with business goals.

Skills

12+ years experience

Manufacturing processes

Supply chain management

Product launch experience

PM methodologies

Jira/Confluence/MS Project

Problem solving

Leadership

Fast-paced work

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MS Project

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 TEAM

As an Associate Director, Production (Missiles), you will report to the Head of Production in overseeing the manufacturing and production lifecycle. You will work cross functionally with engineering, supply chain, operations, quality, program management, growth, and leadership teams to ensure the successful execution of production programs. Your role is critical in driving efficiency, managing schedules, mitigating risks, and ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on a budget.

If you possess a good foundation for manufacturing operational excellence coupled with determination/grit, join us in shaping the future of military might. Your work will not only translate prototypes for scalable production but also change the balance of defense capabilities on a global scale.

Please note: There will likely be up 25% travel required for this role.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Process Optimization - Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with our COGs objectives to enhance production efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness during the development and pre-production phase.
• Budget & Cost Control - Monitor project budgets, track progress and ensure we are continually focused on identifying and solving issues to enable a successful transition to full scale production.
• Stakeholder Communication - Provide regular updates to internal teams and leadership, ensuring transparency on project status, risks, and solutions.
• Resource Management - Ensure appropriate allocation of materials, labor and equipment to meet production readiness goals.
• Risk Management - Identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks and roadblocks that could impact project timelines or operational readiness.
• Cross Functional Collaboration - Coordinate between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, program management, growth, quality and leadership teams to align pre-production efforts with business objectives leading up to program transition to full scale production.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field
• 12+ years of experience in operations program management, production, manufacturing, preferably in defense, aerospace, or complex hardware industries
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, supply chain management, and production workflows
• Experience launching new products with condensed timelines
• Experience with project management methodologies (Agile, Lean, TPS, Six Sigma, etc.)
• Proficiency in project management tools (Jira, Confluence, MS Project, Gantt Charts)
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills
• Strong communication and leadership abilities to influence and align cross functional teams
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in defense, aerospace, or automotive manufacturing
• Experience with ERP, MRP, MES, PLM systems

Per Anduril's expansion plans, we anticipate this job will be based out of Long Beach, CA beginning late 2027.

US Salary Range

$183,000-$243,000 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 most full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

• No Financial Requests:Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.

• Please always verify communications:
  • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to [e-mail].

• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach:If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.

• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud:Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately [e-mail]. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

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

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.