Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Avionics

Slope; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Equity grants

Comprehensive health support

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer in Costa Mesa, California. This role involves building and leading a team of Electrical Engineers focusing on manufacturing avionics systems. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in relevant fields and possess strong leadership skills.

The position offers a competitive salary range of $146,000 – $194,000, along with top-tier employee benefits to support health and recovery. Join Anduril to contribute to innovative defense technology.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing or design of avionics or electrical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to creatively deliver avionics hardware in a resource-constrained environment.
• Experience with personal or extracurricular projects related to manufacturing hardware.

Responsibilities

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of Electrical Manufacturing Engineers.
• Leverage expertise in NPI to transition from prototype to high-volume production.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering teams to provide DFx for smooth NPI transitions.

Skills

Avionics PCBA fabrication

New Product Introduction (NPI)

Team leadership

Attention to detail

Software scripting

Education

Degree in a technical field (engineering, math, or hard science)

Tools

ERP software

CAD software

PLM software

FRACAS software

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 Manufacturing team is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to join our team. The Propulsion Manufacturing Team is responsible for rapidly iterating and building cutting-edge defense hardware for the Core Technologies Platform. This responsibility includes everything in the manufacturing value-chain, including, but not limited to, Design for Manufacturability work, tool design & selection, process creation & optimization, vendor sourcing & interaction, quality planning, and work documentation associated with the hardware that the Manufacturing Engineer owns.

The right person for this role can demonstrate past holistic ownership on solving a technical challenge with a creative, physical solution that they either personally manufacturing or oversaw manufacturing on, in a fast-paced, resource-limited environment. If you are someone who thrives in such an environment, then this role is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of Electrical Manufacturing Engineers and Specialists with deep product knowledge in avionics PCBA and harnessing fabrication, propulsion testing, turbomachinery, and system integration.
• Leverage expertise in New Product Introduction (NPI) to seamlessly transition PCBA, harnessing, and integration from prototype to high-volume production, optimizing manufacturability and supply chain scalability.
• Be a strong partner with Product Quality Engineering to drive and support RCCA burndowns that tackle key issues both internally and externally to EW Production.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering teams early in the development process to feedback Design For Manufacturability.
• Define workflows with cross functional teams for effective collaboration.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering teams in early to late phases of the development process to provide DFx for smooth NPI transitions.
• Own a portion or all of the manufacturing value chain for a certain product or set of products.
• Develop process flows, breaking down large, complex assemblies into a logical part flow of subassemblies and sub-processes.
• Contribute to end-customer hardware mechanical or electrical design, including interconnects, board fabrication and inspection, etc.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in a technical field preferred such as engineering, math, or a hard science.
• 8+ years of experience in a relevant field, preferably manufacturing or design of avionics or electrical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to creatively deliver avionics hardware in a resource-constrained environment.
• Demonstrated in-kind or direct team leadership skills, with backing examples.
• An attitude of world-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail, and dedication.
• A genuine interest in manufacturing and thirst for learning.
• Demonstrated ability to bring up assembly operations for electrical assemblies.
• Personal experience physically manufacturing hardware via any means (machining, fabrication, soldering, assembly, etc.) Work on personal or extracurricular projects is a plus.
• Proficient at ERP, CAD, PLM, and FRACAS software.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with Avionics or Propulsion Products that require system AI&T (assembly, integration, and test).
• Hands-on experience with software & firmware flashing or end-of-line testing & troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated success in scaling product testing and production from tens/hundreds to hundreds/thousands.
• Skills in cost analysis, cost reduction strategies, and managing production budgets.
• Software scripting experience in any language.

US Salary Range: $146,000 – $194,000 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.