Manufacturing Engineer II — Autonomous Aircraft Production

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Anduril Industries seeks a Manufacturing Engineer II to join the Autonomous Airpower manufacturing team in Costa Mesa, CA. You will own parts of the manufacturing value chain for autonomous aircraft hardware, refining processes to hit production targets and quality standards.

Ideal candidates have 4+ years in aerospace/defense manufacturing, strong CAD skills, and hands-on production floor experience, with eligibility for a U.S. Secret clearance. Long Beach base anticipated later in 2027.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering or equivalent hands-on manufacturing experience.
• Experience implementing manufacturing processes on a production floor.
• Experience writing work instructions and quality documentation for hardware builds.
• Proficiency with CAD tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, NX) for tooling and fixture design.
• Experience managing manufacturing projects including timelines, vendor coordination, and resource allocation.
• Hands-on troubleshooting experience in a production environment.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing value chain for subsystems from process development to work instruction authoring, tooling definition, and production support.
• Implement and refine manufacturing processes to achieve production targets and quality standards for your subsystems.
• Analyze current workflows to identify bottlenecks and drive targeted cycle time reductions.
• Author and maintain work instructions, quality plans, inspection requirements, and manufacturing BOMs that enable technicians to build hardware consistently.
• Proficiently utilize CAD software to design tooling, fixtures, and production layouts for aircraft assemblies.
• Provide DFM/DFA feedback to design engineering, communicating manufacturing constraints and suggesting alternatives based on hands‑on production experience.
• Execute assigned manufacturing engineering projects — managing timelines, coordinating with vendors and internal teams, and tracking progress to engineering leadership.
• Troubleshoot production issues in real time, developing practical solutions to minimize downtime on the factory floor.
• Apply Lean and Six Sigma tools (5S, value stream mapping, FMEA) to specific production areas and lead smaller improvement initiatives.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians, providing guidance on routine assignments and manufacturing best practices.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

CAD tools

Project management

Troubleshooting

Lean Six Sigma

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s in Engineering

Tools

CAD tools (CATIA/SolidWorks/NX)

PLM/ERP (Teamcenter/SAP/Oracle)

Job description

Anduril Industries seeks a Manufacturing Engineer II to join the Autonomous Airpower manufacturing team in Costa Mesa, CA. You will own parts of the manufacturing value chain for autonomous aircraft hardware, refining processes to hit production targets and quality standards.

Ideal candidates have 4+ years in aerospace/defense manufacturing, strong CAD skills, and hands-on production floor experience, with eligibility for a U.S. Secret clearance. Long Beach base anticipated later in 2027.