Manager, Manufacturing Optimization

Anduril-1; Ashville (OH); On-site; USD 111,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Columbus, OH is seeking a Manufacturing Optimization Manager to drive the Anduril Production System across our US manufacturing sites. You will lead lean initiatives, develop KPI trees, and coach frontline leaders to sustain continuous improvement in a high-volume environment.

The role emphasizes daily management, standard work, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain and Test to raise safety, delivery and cost

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Production Supervisor or Manager on a high-volume shop floor.
• Strong knowledge of LEAN tools and principles, 5S, and Six Sigma to eliminate waste.
• Experience scaling products from NPI to high volume.
• Experience developing standard work for frontline hourly teams on the shop floor.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; capable of training and developing staff.
• Experience supporting process development and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Establish a scalable operating/manufacturing system aligned to Safety, People, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.
• Integrate cross-functional teams to solve problems and develop prioritized action plans.
• Standardize processes, tools, and templates for Operations teams across the company.
• Coach Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders through daily Gemba and structured feedback.
• Capture/broadcast best practices via playbooks and standard work libraries.
• Develop dashboards and visibility tools to improve prioritization and decision speed.

Skills

LEAN principles

Six Sigma

5S

Shop floor management

MS Office

Communication

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office

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 Manufacturing Operations Team plays a vital role in driving operational excellence and delivering high-quality products that support Anduril's mission of advancing defense capabilities.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are seeking a Manufacturing Optimization Manager to support in the development and deployment of the Anduril Production System (APS) to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence across our manufacturing sites in the US. This role will work closely with manufacturing/production leadership teams to develop, implement, and sustain lean manufacturing systems, coach frontline leaders, and build tools to help drive operational performance in the business.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing operations and would have held roles leading production teams on a shop floor. The candidate should have a strong working knowledge and application of metric board tracking, KPI and target development, problem solving, and a demonstrated proficiency in daily management in a fast-paced, high-volume manufacturing setting. You will be responsible for building capabilities in frontline production leaders (Supervisor and Team Leader) and creating sustainable systems in Manufacturing Excellence that drive long-term performance improvements. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced manufacturing professional ready to make an impact by coaching, teaching, and developing others through a hands-on approach.

A successful candidate will be expected to work out of Columbus, OH. Based on eligibility, relocation assistance may be available. Travel up to 50% may be required for training, cross-site collaboration, or supporting continuous improvement initiatives at other Anduril facilities.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Establish a scalable operating/manufacturing/production system (tiered accountability, daily management, KPI trees, visual management, problem solving, governance) aligned to Safety, People, Quality, Delivery, and Cost
• Strengthen cross-functional execution by integrating Operations, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Test into shared problem-solving and prioritized action plans
• Standardize processes, tools, and templates that will be used by all Operations teams across the company
• Coach and develop Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders through daily Gemba, leader standard work, and structured feedback
• Capture and deploy best practices across lines/cells/sites via playbooks, standard work libraries, and replication mechanisms with clear ownership and audit cadence
• Develop practical tools and structures (dashboards, hour-by-hour boards, problem queues, skills boards) that improve visibility, prioritization, and decision speed

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of experience as a Production Supervisor or Manager running a shop floor in a high-volume environment
• Possesses strong working knowledge and application of LEAN tools and principles, 5S, and Six Sigma to eliminate waste
• Clear demonstration of scaling products from NPI to high volume
• Strong working knowledge of standard work development, writing, and creation for frontline hourly teams on the shop floor
• Organized and detail-oriented with excellent verbal & written communication skills
• Passion for employee development and enjoy the process of training and developing both new hires and veteran production staff
• Experience supporting process development and optimization
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Proficient with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project)
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (engineering, business, or applied science), organizational development, or leadership
• Working knowledge of AS9100 standards and OSHA laws
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret Security Clearance
• Experience in small electronic assembly and drones a plus
• Ability to develop cross functional relationships as a well-respected, trusted partner

US Salary Range

$111,000 - $147,000 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 .

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Anduril Industries's Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.