Autonomous Aircraft Manufacturing Engineer

XYZ Venture Capital; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join the Autonomous Airpower manufacturing team in Costa Mesa, California. You will support the manufacturing value chain for autonomous aircraft hardware — helping build the processes, documentation, and production capabilities that take hardware from design to the factory floor.

This is a hands-on role for someone with a few years of manufacturing experience who will independently modify processes, analyze production data, and

Qualifications

• 2+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware production environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Electrical or Industrial Engineering or equivalent hands-on manufacturing experience.
• Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes — machining, assembly, composites, or electrical integration.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and CAD models.
• Experience analyzing production data and recommending process improvements.
• Willingness to work hands-on in a production environment alongside technicians.
• Strong communication skills — able to document processes clearly and work across engineering and production teams.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Support the manufacturing value chain for assigned aircraft subsystems or assemblies — contributing to process development, work instruction authoring, and production support
• Independently modify and enhance manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and quality metrics on the production line
• Author and maintain work instructions, quality plans, and inspection documentation with guidance from senior MEs
• Analyze production data to identify trends and recommend data-driven process adjustments that reduce cycle times and increase throughput
• Provide DFM/DFA input to design engineering — learning to identify manufacturability issues early and communicate them effectively
• Support production builds on the floor — troubleshooting issues with technicians, documenting lessons learned, and iterating on processes
• Develop and document standardized procedures that enhance manufacturing consistency and quality across build sequences
• Assist with tooling definition and work with tooling engineers to validate fixtures and jigs for production use
• Participate in root cause analysis for manufacturing non-conformances and help drive corrective actions
• Support manufacturing BOM development and maintain accurate production documentation in PLM/ERP systems

Skills

Manufacturing Engineering

Reading drawings

Data analysis

Hands-on in production

Clear communication

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Electrical or Industrial Engineering

Tools

CAD tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, NX)

Job description

Anduril Industries is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join the Autonomous Airpower manufacturing team in Costa Mesa, California. You will support the manufacturing value chain for autonomous aircraft hardware — helping build the processes, documentation, and production capabilities that take hardware from design to the factory floor.

This is a hands-on role for someone with a few years of manufacturing experience who will independently modify processes, analyze production data, and