Chief Digital Systems Engineer

Anduril Industries; Sydney Township (ND); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company focused on transforming U.S. and allied military capabilities with autonomous systems and secure networks.

The Principal Systems Engineer leads the Multi-National Digital Infrastructure (MDI) effort, shaping the technical vision, standards, and global deployment patterns across nations and accreditation regimes. You will own the architecture end-to-end, drive engineering discipline across distributed teams, and codify patterns for scalable,

Qualifications

• Experience designing and building classified network infrastructure across nations.
• Hands-on with sovereign cloud architecture, including IaC and deployment automation.
• Experience with COMSEC integration and cryptographic key management.
• Ability to set engineering standards for a distributed team and drive adoption.

Responsibilities

• Own the MDI technical architecture end-to-end across sovereign cloud, classified networks, and coalition interoperability.
• Ensure coherence across 8+ milestones and prevent debt between workstreams.
• Make hard architectural calls: technology selection, design constraints, build vs. buy decisions.
• Drive the build-once, deploy-per-nation model with a common baseline and late divergence.
• Define RFC-governed decision processes and enforce engineering standards.
• Mentor and guide IC3-IC5 engineers across multiple time zones.

Skills

Classified networks

Sovereign cloud

Infrastructure as Code

Deployment automation

COMSEC integration

HAIPE KG-175X

Engineering leadership

Reusable infrastructure patterns

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.

The Role

Anduril's Multi-National Digital Infrastructure (MDI) team builds and sustains the sovereign cloud, classified networks, edge compute, and coalition interoperability layer that Anduril's products depend on across nations and classification levels. The Principal Systems Engineer is MDI's chief engineer -- owning the technical vision, architectural coherence, and engineering standard for this infrastructure globally.

This is not a staff role that writes architecture docs and advises. You build. You ship. You set the standard by doing the work and then codifying the pattern so it scales without you in the room.

What You'll Do

Architectural Vision & Coherence

• Own the MDI technical architecture end-to-end: sovereign cloud (IL5/IL6), classified bilateral networks, maritime C2 patterns, edge-to-cloud pipelines, and coalition interoperability
• Ensure decisions in one workstream don't create debt in another -- hold the full picture across 8+ concurrent milestones
• Make the hard architectural calls: technology selection, accreditation-driven design constraints, build vs. buy, when to diverge from common baseline
• Drive the "build once, deploy per nation" model -- common baseline infrastructure with intentional, late divergence

Engineering Standards & Quality

• Define and enforce the engineering bar: IaC practices, security baselines, deployment patterns, documentation requirements, peer review process
• Establish RFC-governed decision processes so architectural choices are deliberate, recorded, and reviewable
• Own reliability and quality improvement -- set measurable targets and drive the team toward them
• Translate national accreditation requirements (DCSA, IRAP/ISM, NCSC) into engineering work, not paperwork

Scale & Reuse

• Build the common infrastructure patterns that let MDI expand to new nations and classification levels without proportional engineering effort
• Each subsequent national deployment should be faster than the last -- configuration over engineering
• Own the module library, deployment templates, and accreditation frameworks that make this possible
• Prevent the bespoke/incompatible pattern that every other defense company falls into at scale

Team Leadership

• Technical leader for MDI's distributed engineering team across US, UK, and AUS
• Set direction, mentor IC3-IC5 engineers, review work, raise the bar
• Define the technical hiring bar and skills framework for MDI engineering roles
• Establish cross-timezone collaboration patterns that function without requiring you as a bottleneck

Division Interface

• Represent MDI's technical capabilities and constraints to Maritime and (2027+) Maneuver Dominance leadership
• Shape what's technically possible -- translate engineering reality into program decisions
• Interface with adjacent technical teams (InfoSec, CorpTech, MTOC, Enabling Technology) on shared concerns

What You Bring

Required

• Deep experience designing and building classified network infrastructure across multiple nations or accreditation frameworks
• Hands-on with sovereign cloud architecture -- not just design, but implementation (IaC, module development, deployment automation)
• Experience with COMSEC integration, HAIPE/KG-175X, and the intersection of network sovereignty and cryptographic key management
• Demonstrated ability to set engineering standards for a distributed team and drive adoption without micromanagement
• Track record of building reusable infrastructure patterns that scale -- not one-off builds that require re-engineering for each deployment
• Understanding of multinational compliance and accreditation (at least 2 of: DCSA/NIST 800-53, IRAP/ISM, NCSC Cyber Essentials+/OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE)
• Experience operating as the architectural decision-maker -- not waiting for direction, but setting it
• Ability to hold both tactical delivery and strategic architecture simultaneously without sacrificing either

Preferred

• Experience in the AUKUS or Five Eyes defense industrial context
• Familiarity with bilateral/multilateral classified data sharing mechanisms (CDS, policy-controlled release)
• Background in both network engineering and cloud infrastructure (not just one)
• Experience with defense accreditation processes from the engineering side -- building systems that pass, not just documenting compliance
• Prior experience working with or within allied Defence organizations (US DoD, Australian Defence, UK MOD)

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days

• Document MDI's architectural strategy: current state, target state, and gaps
• Establish RFC/review process for architectural decisions across the team
• Identify the top 3 reuse opportunities across current national builds and begin codifying them
• Build relationships with adjacent technical leaders (InfoSec, CorpTech, MTOC, Enabling Technology)

First 6 Months

• Common baseline infrastructure pattern proven across at least 2 nations -- deployment to a new nation demonstrably faster than the first
• Engineering standards documented and adopted by the team with measurable quality improvement
• Accreditation engineering approach established -- national frameworks translated into repeatable engineering controls
• Sovereign cloud and classified network architectures aligned under a single coherent technical strategy

First 12 Months

• MDI's infrastructure model is the reference architecture for how Anduril builds sovereign systems globally
• Expansion to new divisions scoped and technically ready -- an extension of proven patterns, not a new engineering effort
• Reliability and quality metrics trending in the right direction with clear ownership
• Engineering team operating at a higher standard -- evidenced by faster deployments, fewer rework cycles, stronger accreditation posture
• Technical career path established for MDI engineers with clear growth trajectory

How This Role Fits

This role works in partnership with the MDI Lead. The MDI Lead owns what we build and why -- stakeholder relationships, program prioritization, BD pipeline, team growth strategy, and cross-division influence. The Principal Systems Engineer owns how it's built and how it scales -- architecture, engineering standards, technical feasibility, capability roadmap, hiring bar, and accreditation engineering.

Why This Role Matters

Every nation MDI expands to should get faster -- not harder. The Principal Systems Engineer builds the infrastructure once, codifies the pattern, and ensures each subsequent deployment is a configuration change, not a new engineering effort. That's how one team supports multiple divisions and multiple nations without breaking.

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:

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.