Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Ghost

Anduril-1; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Santa Ana, CA, is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer for Drones to bridge design and high‑volume production of UAS such as Bolt, Ghost, Anvil, and future autonomous platforms. This role will shape manufacturing processes from early design through ramp to full production, lead cross‑functional teams, and drive rapid, scalable deployment.

You will own manufacturing documentation, uphold quality programs, and pursue cost reduction and efficiency gains while fostering a

Qualifications

• Degree in a technical field such as engineering, math, or a hard science.
• 5+ years in manufacturing or similar prototyping position.
• 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 creatively deliver hardware in a resource‑constrained environment
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Responsibilities

• Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing team of Manufacturing Engineers with deep product knowledge in mechanical, electrical, system integration, and end of line tests
• Lead the transition of products from concept to prototype, pilot, and full production with speed, flexibility, scalability, and first‑time quality.
• Provide daily sustaining support to ensure each product line performs as intended, including real‑time problem‑solving related to mechanical fitment issues, electrical and harnessing issues, as well as software and firmware issues.
• Work with cross‑functional team (design, quality, supply chain, etc.) during the development process to drive design for manufacturing best practices into the design effort, and help facilitate the transition from design to prototype to rate production.
• Own documentation required for successfully manufacturing product group hardware at scale, such as MBOM’s, work instructions & requirements, etc.
• Uphold and advise on quality management and business application programs as they pertain to manufacturing within your area.
• Facilitate make versus buy decisions, and coordinate with internal supply chain teams to manage vendors to ensure quality deliveries on time.
• Contribute to end‑customer hardware mechanical or electrical design, including interconnects, board fabrication and inspection, etc.
• Analyze metrics for continuous improvement initiatives (cost reduction, QI reduction & capacity increase).
• Instill a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the manufacturing engineering product team.

Skills

Team leadership

Manufacturing engineering

Quality management

Design for manufacturing

Education

Technical degree in engineering/math/science

Tools

NX/Teamcenter

PCBA fabrication

SMT processes

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.

Lead Manufacturing Engineer, Drones

SUMMARY - ABOUT THE TEAM / JOB

Anduril’s Drones team is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Lead Manufacturing Engineer to join our rapidly growing team. In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for bridging the gap between cutting‑edge design and efficient, high‑volume production for our advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) like Bolt, Ghost, Anvil, and future autonomous platforms.

As a Lead Manufacturing Engineer in Drones, you will support products from the early design phase, develop/improve the manufacturing process and support production ramps for several products. The diverse responsibilities of this role will require you to leverage your technical expertise as well as leadership skills to set objectives, build cross‑functional teams, and drive rapid project execution. You will play a crucial role in optimizing manufacturing processes, reducing costs, and increasing efficiencies on existing technologies while also developing new products and scaling to full‑scale production.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Build, mentor, and lead a high‑performing team of Manufacturing Engineers with deep product knowledge in mechanical, electrical, system integration, and end of line tests
• Lead the transition of products from concept to prototype, pilot, and full production with speed, flexibility, scalability, and first‑time quality.
• Provide daily sustaining support to ensure each product line performs as intended, including real‑time problem‑solving related to mechanical fitment issues, electrical and harnessing issues, as well as software and firmware issues.
• Work with cross‑functional team (design, quality, supply chain, etc.) during the development process to drive design for manufacturing best practices into the design effort, and help facilitate the transition from design to prototype to rate production.
• Own documentation required for successfully manufacturing product group hardware at scale, such as MBOM’s, work instructions & requirements, etc.
• Uphold and advise on quality management and business application programs as they pertain to manufacturing within your area.
• Facilitate make versus buy decisions, and coordinate with internal supply chain teams to manage vendors to ensure quality deliveries on time.
• Contribute to end‑customer hardware mechanical or electrical design, including interconnects, board fabrication and inspection, etc.
• Analyze metrics for continuous improvement initiatives (cost reduction, QI reduction & capacity increase).
• Instill a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the manufacturing engineering product team.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in a technical field such as engineering, math, or a hard science.
• 5+ years in manufacturing or similar prototyping position.
• 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 creatively deliver hardware in a resource‑constrained environment
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience building or transforming successful production operation organizations and leading large‑scale change management initiatives that influence culture, define tools & processes and improve competencies.
• Harness & PCBA fabrication experience including prior work with or setup/modification/monitoring SMT processes.
• Experience leading and managing teams on fast‑paced, complex projects.
• Hands‑on experience with R/C and/or autonomous flight vehicles, flight controllers, or other related control systems.
• Software scripting experience in any language.
• Experience in NX/Teamcenter

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.