Autonomous Aircraft Manufacturing Engineering Lead

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to build and lead a new Autonomous Airpower program from prototype to full-rate production. You’ll be a working manager, hands-on with decisions, while growing the team and processes for scale.

You’ll collaborate with design, program management, growth, supply chain and quality to ensure manufacturability, drive improvements, and deliver robust manufacturing systems and documentation.

Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace/defense manufacturing environments.
• Cradle-to-grave ownership from design input to production support.
• Experience leading manufacturing engineering teams and cross-functional projects.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the manufacturing engineering team for a new autonomous airpower program.
• Act as a working manager, making technical program decisions early on.
• Develop strategic production capabilities and automation across the lifecycle.
• Collaborate with chief engineers, design, and program management to ensure manufacturability.
• Own documentation, work instructions, and process documentation for scale.
• Drive production readiness, tooling, MBOM maturity, and rate-readiness planning.
• Lead the selection and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment and processes.
• Drive continuous improvement to reduce cost, improve quality, and increase throughput.
• Manage budgets and forecast manufacturing needs across personnel and materials.
• Interface with customers on manufacturing strategy and plans.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

DFM/DFA

Program management

Cross-functional

Hands-on management

MES/ERP/PLM

Education

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

Master's degree in engineering, business, or related field

Tools

CAD (CATIA/SolidWorks/NX)

Teamcenter/SAP/Oracle/PLM

Job description

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to build and lead a new Autonomous Airpower program from prototype to full-rate production. You’ll be a working manager, hands-on with decisions, while growing the team and processes for scale.

You’ll collaborate with design, program management, growth, supply chain and quality to ensure manufacturability, drive improvements, and deliver robust manufacturing systems and documentation.