Lead Manufacturing Engineer, High-Speed Missiles

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

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer for High-Speed Missiles to industrialize hypersonic missile programs. You will drive production from prototype to high-rate manufacturing while optimizing processes and driving cross-functional collaboration.

The ideal candidate has a degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, 8+ years of relevant experience, and a strong focus on Design for Manufacturing. This pivotal role offers the chance to significantly impact U.S. military capabilities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing or a related field.
• Experience in complex aerospace or defense products.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (<10%).

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing strategies for hypersonic missile programs.
• Collaborate with design engineering for DFM and DFA.
• Optimize manufacturing processes for cost and efficiency.

Skills

Hardware manufacturing

Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

Manufacturing processes

Technical mentorship

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering

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

The Missiles Manufacturing Engineering team at Anduril is dedicated to rewriting the playbook for precision strike and deterrent capabilities. Modern threats demand a paradigm shift in how tactical weapons are designed and produced, and our team is rapidly scaling production to deliver the unprecedented volume, speed, and affordability that U.S. and Allied forces require.

Our portfolio includes the groundbreaking Barracuda family of air-breathing missiles, as well as cutting‑edge hypersonic missile systems and a pipeline of next‑generation strike technologies. Hypersonic flight—traveling at speeds of Mach 5 and beyond—is one of the most demanding engineering challenges of our time. To survive these extreme environments, our vehicles must withstand intense thermal, aerodynamic, and structural forces.

Historically, hypersonic systems have been built like low-volume, bespoke science projects. At Anduril, we are changing that. We are scaling the production of these ultra-complex systems to meet global demands, directly reshaping deterrence on a global scale.

About the Role

As the Lead Manufacturing Engineer for High-Speed Missiles, you will be the driving force behind the industrialization of our hypersonic missile programs. You will bridge the gap between cutting‑edge physics and high-rate industrial output, transforming highly complex, next‑generation vehicles into manufacturable, repeatable, and rapidly scalable products.

This is a high‑visibility, high‑ownership leadership role. You will support hypersonic products from the early design phase, establish the core manufacturing processes, and lead the production ramp from prototype to rate. The diverse responsibilities of this role will require you to leverage both your deep technical expertise and your leadership skills to set strategic objectives, build cross‑functional alignment, and drive rapid project execution.

You will play a crucial role in optimizing manufacturing processes, reducing costs, and increasing efficiencies while ensuring our manufacturing line is built to scale from day one.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the Charge: Act as the primary manufacturing leader for the hypersonic program, setting the execution strategy, managing production timelines, and driving cross‑functional teams to hit critical milestones.
• Drive Early NPI & DFM: Collaborate directly with design engineering leadership during early development phases to push aggressive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) requirements.
• Architect the Factory of the Future: Design, commission, and scale the physical work centers, advanced assembly lines, and factory layouts specifically tailored for hypersonic vehicles.
• Pioneer Advanced Processes: Establish robust manufacturing methods for exotic materials, advanced composite structures, thermal protection systems (TPS), and high-performance propulsion integration.
• Own Tooling & Capital Equipment: Identify capital equipment needs and lead the design, procurement, and qualification of custom assembly tooling and automated equipment.
• Bridge Design and the Shop Floor: Serve as the technical authority on the floor, unblocking production bottlenecks, resolving complex engineering anomalies, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Educational Background: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related STEM discipline.
• Senior Technical & NPI Ownership: Strong hands‑on hardware manufacturing experience acting as a technical anchor, product owner, or project lead for a complex aerospace, defense, or high‑technology product line coupled with a proven track record of owning a clean‑sheet NPI product, complex manufacturing process, or critical system from cradle to grave.
• Strategic DFM & Cross-Functional Influence: Proven ability to influence design engineering decisions to adopt aggressive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles, ensuring design maturity aligns with production schedules.
• Technical Mentorship & Peer Leadership: Experience guiding, mentoring, and unblocking peer engineers. Ability to act as a technical sounding board, drive consensus on complex engineering challenges, and lead project execution without needing formal organizational authority.
• Travel: Willingness to travel occasionally (<10%) to support global manufacturing operations.
• U.S. Person Status: Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities.
• Clearance Status: Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Security clearance.
• YoE: 8+ years of experience working in manufacturing or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hypersonics Experience: Direct experience working on hypersonic vehicles, scramjets, rocket propulsion, thermal protection systems (TPS), or high‑temperature structures/materials is highly valued.
• Aerospace & Defense Domain Expertise: Experience working on complex aerospace systems, tactical missiles, launch vehicles, satellites, or high-performance automotive platforms.
• Program & Schedule Management: Strong ability to manage program schedules, identify critical path risks, and coordinate cross‑functionally with Supply Chain, Quality, Test, and Program Management to ensure on‑time delivery.

US Salary Range

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.