Director of Advanced Design — UAV & Missile Concepts

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

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Director of Advanced Design for the Air Dominance & Strike hardware engineering organization. The role oversees conceptual design for Group 5 UAS and advanced missile platforms, shaping early-phase concepts, white papers, and customer proposals.

You will partner with chief engineers and product teams to ensure alignment with feasibility, affordability, and mission needs, while driving innovative aerospace solutions and risk-aware decisions in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in conceptual or preliminary design of aerospace systems with leadership roles on Group 5 UAS or advanced missile systems.
• Expertise in at least one aerospace hardware discipline: aerodynamics, structures, propulsion integration, or electrical systems.
• Deep understanding of system architecture, mission requirements, and full product lifecycle development.
• Proven experience leading high-performance engineering teams in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Direct the end-to-end conceptual design process for UAV and missile platforms, including mission analysis, configuration trade studies, requirements development, and architecture selection.
• Serve as a technical expert for early-phase pursuits, shaping concept white-papers, customer proposals, and technology roadmaps, partnering with the chief engineering team.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with technical feasibility, affordability, and customer mission needs.
• Support direct interactions with customers to translate mission requirements into design concepts.
• Act as a senior technical decision-maker, applying engineering intuition and prior experience to ensure effective design paths and avoid costly development missteps.
• Partner with Chief Engineers and product teams to align engineering execution with broader mission and capability goals.
• Stay at the forefront of emerging aerospace technologies and threats, incorporating disruptive innovations into early-stage designs.

Skills

Technical leadership

Aerospace domain knowledge

System architecture

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Job description

Anduril Industries is seeking a Director of Advanced Design for the Air Dominance & Strike hardware engineering organization. The role oversees conceptual design for Group 5 UAS and advanced missile platforms, shaping early-phase concepts, white papers, and customer proposals.

You will partner with chief engineers and product teams to ensure alignment with feasibility, affordability, and mission needs, while driving innovative aerospace solutions and risk-aware decisions in a fast-paced