Chief Engineer, Fury: Advanced Air Vehicle Prototyping

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 254,000 - 336,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Top-tier benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking a Chief Engineer for Fury in Science & Tech to lead conceptual design and applied S&T for advanced flight platforms. You will drive technical execution through modeling, build, and test of air systems while aligning with customer needs and program goals.

The role requires strong systems‑level thinking, hands‑on flight hardware experience, and the ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field such as Aerospace, Mechanical, Physics or Systems Engineering.
• 10+ years in conceptual design, architecture or advanced development of air vehicle platforms.
• Experience leading conceptual design and early‑phase system architecture for full aircraft or complex flight systems.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead early conceptual design of advanced air vehicle platforms and perform performance modeling.
• Define holistic system architectures integrating air vehicle design, mission systems, autonomy, and manufacturing.
• Guide concepts from exploration to prototype‑ready air vehicle designs.
• Conduct cross‑disciplinary trade studies and modeling to understand interactions and failure modes.

Skills

Systems thinking

Hands-on flight hardware

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Physics/Systems Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

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

The Air Dominance and Strike (AD&S) Chief Engineering Team is a driving force behind the technical execution and strategic vision of our most critical programs. They are responsible for architecting a vision for product development and guiding multi-disciplinary teams to deliver effectively. They are expected to own the mission and to be deeply involved in building the eco-system that enables execution.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Lead Prototype Execution: Own the end-to-end technical execution of building first-article and prototype autonomous aircraft, leading the team from part fabrication to a fully integrated, flight-ready vehicle.
• Hands-On Problem Solving: Serve as the lead technical problem-solver on the factory floor, driving root cause analysis and implementing rapid solutions for issues in manufacturing, assembly, and integration.
• Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Work directly with the conceptual design team to provide critical DFM feedback, ensuring the aircraft is not just performant but also buildable, testable, and scalable.
• Oversee Fabrication & Assembly: Lead the fabrication, assembly, and integration of complex airframe structures, propulsion systems, avionics, and flight control hardware.
• Manage Build & Test Integration: Develop and execute the plan for system integration, ground testing, and final vehicle checkout in preparation for flight test.
• Build and Lead an Elite Team: Lead and mentor a small, high-performing team of "doers"—engineers and technicians who thrive on building cutting-edge hardware.
• Supplier & Partner Integration: Direct the technical interface with key suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure hardware is delivered on time and to spec.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A proven track record of leading the hands-on build and integration of a new, complex aircraft or aerospace vehicle.
• Deep, hands-on expertise in manufacturing and prototyping, including composite fabrication, metallic structures, systems installation, and vehicle assembly.
• Demonstrated experience taking a vehicle from detailed design release, through a first-article build, and into a successful test campaign.
• Experience leading small, agile, multi-disciplinary engineering and technician teams in a rapid development environment.
• Strong technical foundation in mechanical/aerospace structures and systems integration.
• Expertise in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and resolving real-time production issues.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Direct experience leading the prototype build of a UAS at Group 3 or above.
• Prior experience with DOW technology development organizations (e.g., DARPA, AFRL) on advanced flight programs.
• Background in a "Skunk Works," "Phantom Works," or fast-paced startup environment focused on rapid hardware prototyping.
• Experience with a wide range of manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing, advanced composites, and automated assembly.
• Hands-on experience as a Test Director or lead flight test engineer for a first flight campaign.
• A "player-coach" leadership style with a willingness to be deeply involved in the day-to-day build.
• An active Top Secret security clearance.

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

US Salary Range

$254,000—$336,000 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 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.

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 to [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.