Chief Engineer, Ground Maneuver

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 253,000 - 295,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA seeks a Chief Engineer to design a next-generation vehicle product that turns any vehicle into a software-defined mission system. You will lead the architecture and delivery of a vehicle-to-mission interface layer, unifying power, data, networking, and control for mission kits.

You will guide hardware and software teams from concept through production, define APIs, and partner with OEMs and customers to drive platform adoption while ensuring robust,

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in mechanical/electrical engineering, computer science, or related field.
• 15+ years in complex system architecture and integration.
• 5+ years leading multi-disciplinary teams developing software-enabled hardware products.
• Experience with safety-critical frameworks and hazard analysis.
• Ability to design systems with fault isolation and fail-safe behavior.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end vehicle-to-mission interface architecture.
• Lead architecture and delivery of a vehicle-to-mission interface layer for mission kits.
• Architect compute module, firmware layer, and software layer for vehicle communications with B-kits.
• Define standardized APIs, data models, and ICDs that abstract vehicle systems into reusable mission services.
• Architect managed power and compute systems.
• Build the plug-and-play mission kit framework.
• Lead cross-functional engineering execution from concept through production across hardware and software.
• Partner with OEMs, mission partners, and customers to drive platform adoption and deployment.
• Be the primary engineering contact for external and internal stakeholders.
• Interface directly with senior leadership and represent the business with decision-making authorities within product engineering.

Skills

System architecture

Embedded systems

Hardware-software integration

Safety-critical engineering

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/electrical engineering, CS, or related

Master's degree in mechanical/electrical or systems engineering, CS, or related

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

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 JOB

We are seeking a Chief Engineer with a proven track record in designing a next‑generation vehicle product that transforms any vehicle into a software‑defined mission system. As Chief Engineer you will lead the architecture and delivery of a vehicle‑to‑mission interface layer which abstracts power, data, networking, and control into a common environment for mission kits. Your leadership will drive both product design and production process optimization, ensuring that our systems are robust, cost‑effective, and ready for the field.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own the end-to-end architecture of the vehicle to mission interface layer
• As Chief Engineer you will lead the architecture and delivery of a vehicle‑to‑mission interface layer which abstracts power, data, networking, and control into a common environment for mission kits.
• This will include architecting a compute module for vehicle translation, a firmware layer for vehicle communications, and a software layer for communicating with B‑kits
• Define standardized APIs, data models, and ICDs that abstract vehicle systems into reusable mission services
• Architect managed power and compute systems
• Build the plug‑and‑play mission kit framework
• Lead cross functional engineering execution from concept through production across hardware and software teams
• Partner with OEMs, mission partners, and customers to drive platform adoption and deployment
• Be the primary engineering contact for external and internal stakeholders
• Interface directly with internal senior leader and represent the business with decision making authorities within the scope of product engineering

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, computer science, or related field required
• Proven experience in designing new products and delivering hardware and software at scale
• 15+ years of experience in complex system architecture and integration
• 5+ years of experience leading multi‑disciplined teams developing software enabled hardware products
• Expertise in vehicle electrical and power systems (12-28V architecture, conversion, distribution, and load management)
• Expertise in embedded systems and ruggedized compute platforms
• Experience applying safety‑critical frameworks including hazard analysis and safety case development
• Proven ability to design system with fault isolation, fail‑safe behavior, and non‑interference – ensuring that mission systems cannot impact vehicle‑critical functions
• Must be able to travel up to 25% of the time

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters of Science degree in mechanical, electrical or systems engineering, computer science, or related field required
• Strong technical, analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to use data and metrics to back up assumptions, recommendations and drive decisions
• Experience with tools like JIRA and Confluence
• Exposure to land‑based systems, particularly with DoW experience
• Holds Active Secret Clearance or higher

US Salary Range $253,000 — $295,000 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.