Head of Operations, Space Orbital Systems

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking a Head of Operations for the Space Orbital Systems team. You will own all business operations for this unit, guiding quick-turn operational responses and redesigning processes to enable scale.

This role partners with Space and Division leadership to achieve strategic objectives, manages growth coordination, and oversees partnerships, risk, and internal governance while reporting to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in operations.
• Ability to lead multiple large projects in parallel with ownership.
• Onsite work in Costa Mesa, CA five days a week; travel at least 25%.
• Active U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations for Space Orbital Systems.
• Define growth strategy with Space Leadership Team.
• Provide operational support to growth, execution, and engineering.
• Lead strategic initiatives aligned with business priorities.
• Solve problems to scale the Business Line efficiently.
• Own managing the Business Line Profit/Loss and burn rate with finance.
• Engage senior leaders and external interface strategy with partners.

Skills

Operations leadership

Strategic planning

People operations

Engineering collaboration

Security clearance

Education

MBA or similar

Bachelors in Engineering/Business/Finance

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

Anduril’s Space Orbital Systems team is dedicated to expanding our AI-powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners. We build spacecraft and space systems which serve a wide variety of functions in the space architecture. At a time when space superiority can no longer be taken for granted and with space systems proliferating at an incredible rate, the Space Orbital Systems team provides advanced, mission critical capabilities to our customer base to be able to more effectively operate and survive within this expanding environment with limited personnel. We’re developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a decisive advantage in this contested warfighting domain.

About The Job

We are looking for a Head of Operations to join our rapidly growing Space Orbital Systems team. In this role you will be responsible for all business operations for the team. Your work will vary from quick-turn operational fire-fighting, to building and redesigning processes, to leading high-impact strategic projects. This role requires you to be a trusted partner to each part of the business, and to work with and support the Space and Division leadership teams to achieve our strategic objectives.

What You’ll Do

• Drive day-to-day business operations for the Space Business line. This will include business planning & organization design, talent planning & people operations, real estate & facility planning, security & infrastructure compliance, proposal & legal support, and sharing the division’s narrative.
• Work with the growth team to define and synthesize the growth strategy for Space Orbital Systems Business in partnership with the Space Leadership Team
• Support the growth, execution, and engineering of the business line with operational support
• Lead strategic initiatives in-line with the Business Line priorities
• Problem solve to enable the Business Line to operate as efficiently as possible and scale accordingly
• Own managing the Business Line Profit/Loss and burn rate – working closely with Anduril finance
• Build senior leader engagement and external interface strategy (e.g. conferences, press releases, partnerships)
• Build, negotiate and execute partnerships across industry
• Support Merger and Acquisition activity – identifying targets and engaging in diligence

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience in operations
• Strong emotional intelligence and ability to solve operational problems in a way that is both data-driven and people-centric.
• High ownership with sufficient horsepower to effectively manage multiple (6+) large projects and priorities in parallel, at a rapid pace, and report out on progress regularly.
• Solid technical aptitude and proven ability to understand technical designs and ability to work closely and effectively with engineering teams
• Ability to work onsite five days a week at our HQ in Costa Mesa, CA
• Minimum 25% travel expected
• Able to maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or similar degree
• Experience working with engineers and bringing hardware/software products to market strongly preferred
• Experience in the Space Industry
• Experience working effectively in a matrix organization structure
• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or a related field

US Salary Range

$166,000—$220,000 USD

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.

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.