Chief Engineer, Space

AI Chopping Block; Costa Mesa, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 253,000 - 336,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Benefits package

Job summary

Anduril is seeking a Chief Engineer to lead our Space Missions engineering effort in Costa Mesa, CA. You will serve as the technical lead for high-impact spacecraft missions, guiding design, build, test, and delivery for on-orbit operations across hardware and software domains.

You will shape technical strategy, drive architecture and verification plans, and partner with space mission leaders to deliver capabilities for government and commercial customers.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated track record architecting, developing, and delivering defense/IC satellite systems.
• Deep domain expertise in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), Space Control, Rendezvous & Proximity Operations (RPO), and dynamic space operations.
• Experience with standard space qualification and acceptance testing methodologies (e.g., MIL-STD-1540).
• Strong technical fundamentals across space vehicle bus subsystems, payload interfaces, space ground infrastructure, and rapid product development.
• Proven leadership experience on US Government/DoD/IC space contracts.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and system-level expertise across spacecraft bus subsystems, specialized payload suites, and ground segments.
• Serve as the technical authority on the program and maintain the technical integrity of the program, coordinating with the Program Manager.
• Lead technical execution and architecture development for key mission areas, including Space Control and dynamic RPO missions.
• Drive the engineering lifecycle for space vehicles and mission payloads from early architecture trades through flight hardware delivery and on-orbit commissioning.
• Leverage strategic partnerships and teammates to build out new products that satisfy customer requirements in contested environments.
• Provide space industry expertise to refine and advance the Anduril Space portfolio and strategy for customer engagements and demonstrations.
• Contribute engineering inputs and execution plans to high-priority proposals.
• Provide technical mentorship and oversight to a multi-disciplinary engineering team through all phases of program execution up to on-orbit operations.
• Perform mission- and system-level trade studies and analysis to balance risk, cost, schedule, and mission performance.

Skills

Space architecture

RPO

Multi-disciplinary leadership

Technical communication

Program execution

Job description

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for a Chief Engineer to join our rapidly growing space team in Costa Mesa, CA. In this role, you will serve as the technical lead on a wide berth of emerging developments geared towards high-impact spacecraft missions focused on dynamic space operations, space control, and Rendezvous & Proximity Operations (RPO). Drawing on a strong technical background in space vehicle design, payload design and payload integration, you will drive technology developments through design, build, test, and delivery for on-orbit operations. Anduril is developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our U.S. military and allied partners maintain a decisive advantage in this contested war-fighting domain.

The Chief Engineer will develop a technical strategy and roadmap in conjunction with the Director of Engineering for Space Missions and the Growth/Strategy leads of the Space team that effectively leverages current Anduril technologies and newly developed technologies to serve customer mission areas. This role will address pre-award demonstrations, early contract phases, and full-contract execution. Working with a multi-disciplinary engineering team, the Chief Engineer will ensure the efficient development and delivery of hardware and software solutions for the customer.

These efforts will include leading complex, integrated systems for on-orbit operations and demonstrations to include subcontracted teammates and strategic partnerships. The Chief Engineer will facilitate effective technical development and integration that spans company boundaries in an agile development approach within a continuous integration/continuous deployment paradigm. They will balance the development of new capabilities with the incorporation of pre-existing Anduril or industry capabilities and effectively communicate technical progress to internal and external stakeholders.

The Chief Engineer will be responsible for technical oversight of all aspects of program execution from proposals to SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR, assembly, qualification testing, and delivery of flight units for launch. In conjunction with the Director of Engineering for Space Missions, they will assist in building out the necessary infrastructure to execute on all aspects of satellite and mission payload build, integration, and test—including establishing test requirements and pass/fail criteria with external vendors. The Chief Engineer will also work closely with the Anduril Space C2 team to enable and deliver Space Ground C2 products to both the customer and broader customer ecosystems. A successful Chief Engineer in the Space business line is one that is technically broad and can serve as an effective technical oversight for all disciplines across all phases of a program lifecycle, including: mechanical, thermal, structural, electrical, orbital software, ground software, FPGA, firmware, GNC, survivability, EMI/EMC, reliability, manufacturing (integration and test), and on-orbit operations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Provide technical leadership and system-level expertise across spacecraft bus subsystems, specialized payload suites, and ground segments.
• Serve as the technical authority on the program and maintain the technical integrity of the program. Monitor, control, and execute the engineering baseline of the program, and act in concert with the Program Manager to ensure that technical scope is both appropriate for the mission and satisfies end-customer needs.
• Lead technical execution and architecture development for key mission areas, including Space Control and dynamic RPO missions.
• Drive the engineering lifecycle for space vehicles and mission payloads from early architecture trades through flight hardware delivery and on-orbit commissioning.
• Leverage strategic partnerships and teammates to build out new products that satisfy customer requirements in contested and challenging mission environments.
• Provide space industry expertise to refine and advance the Anduril Space portfolio and strategy for customer engagements and demonstrations.
• Contribute technical inputs and engineering execution plans to high-priority proposals.
• Provide technical mentorship and oversight to a multi-disciplinary engineering team through all phases of program execution up to and including on-orbit operations.
• Perform mission- and system-level trade studies and analysis to balance risk, cost, schedule, and mission performance.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated track record architecting, developing, and delivering defense/IC satellite systems, with hands-on heritage in space vehicle design and payload architecture/integration.
• Deep domain expertise in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), Space Control, Rendezvous & Proximity Operations (RPO), and dynamic space operations.
• Technical familiarity with high-dV spacecraft architectures, closed-loop relative navigation/GNC, and space-based sensing payloads (e.g., optical/IR/RF suites) across multiple orbital regimes (LEO, GEO, cislunar).
• Strong understanding of the current technical state, mission needs, and CONOPS of key USSF and IC space enterprise systems.
• Demonstrated ability to decompose complex mission requirements with competing constraints (e.g., SWaP-C, performance, schedule, modularity, cybersecurity, MLS) into executable engineering roadmaps.
• Experience with standard space qualification and acceptance testing methodologies (e.g., SMC-S-016 / MIL-STD-1540, GEVS).
• Strong technical fundamentals across space vehicle bus subsystems, payload interfaces, space ground infrastructure, and rapid product development.
• Strong technical communication skills, with the ability to present critical briefings, trade studies, and program milestones to executive leadership and government customers.
• Proven technical leadership experience on US Government / DoD / IC space contracts.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

US Salary Range

$253,000 - $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.