Autonomous Aircraft Manufacturing Engineering Manager

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

Job summary

Anduril Industries seeks a Manager of Manufacturing Engineering for Autonomous Airpower in Costa Mesa, CA. You will build and lead the team from prototype through LRIP to full-rate production, while staying hands-on to drive critical decisions and processes.

You will partner with chief engineers, program mgmt, and supply chain to ensure designs are manufacturable and scalable. Expect strategic leadership as the program grows, with emphasis on quality, safety, and cost reductions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline is required.
• Proven experience leading manufacturing engineering teams in aerospace/defense.
• Experience scaling from prototype to production on complex hardware.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the manufacturing engineering team for the program.
• Act as a working manager, making technical decisions early.
• Develop production capability strategies and automation.
• Partner with chief engineers and design teams through lifecycle.
• Own documentation for manufacture of aircraft hardware at scale.
• Drive production readiness, tooling, MBOM maturity, and rate-readiness.
• Lead selection and installation of new manufacturing equipment.
• Drive continuous improvement for cost, quality, and throughput.
• Manage budgets and forecast manufacturing needs.
• Collaborate across program management, supply chain, operations, and quality.
• Serve as technical expert for manufacturing issues on the program.
• Analyze production metrics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Interface with customers on manufacturing strategy for the aircraft.
• Foster innovation, teamwork, and accountability in manufacturing.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing automation

Education

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

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

Tools

MES

ERP

PLM

CAD software (CATIA, SolidWorks, NX)

Job description

Anduril Industries seeks a Manager of Manufacturing Engineering for Autonomous Airpower in Costa Mesa, CA. You will build and lead the team from prototype through LRIP to full-rate production, while staying hands-on to drive critical decisions and processes.

You will partner with chief engineers, program mgmt, and supply chain to ensure designs are manufacturable and scalable. Expect strategic leadership as the program grows, with emphasis on quality, safety, and cost reductions.