Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Avionics

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

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Highly competitive equity grants

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, California, is looking for a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to join our innovative Propulsion Manufacturing Team. In this role, you'll lead a high-performing team and oversee the manufacturing value-chain, ensuring high-quality production of cutting-edge defense hardware.

We're seeking candidates with over 8 years of experience in avionics or electrical systems manufacturing, strong leadership abilities, and a proven track record in problem-solving and manufacturability optimization. A comprehensive benefits package and salary range of $146,000—$194,000 USD are included.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing or design of avionics or electrical systems.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and successful examples.
• Proficient in delivering avionics hardware in resource-constrained conditions.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high-performing team of engineers.
• Leverage expertise in New Product Introduction.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering for manufacturability feedback.

Skills

Team leadership

Avionics design

Manufacturing processes

Problem-solving

ERP and CAD software proficiency

Education

Degree in engineering, math, or hard science

Tools

ERP Software

CAD Software

PLM Software

FRACAS Software

Job description

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 manufactured 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.

Benefits

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: 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.