Materials Lab Technician, Mechanical Testing

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 56,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a hands-on mechanical testing technician to run and manage materials testing across programs. You will own the bench, set up fixtures, operate load frames, and ensure results are accurate and traceable for engineering teams.

In this role you’ll maintain the lab, follow safety protocols, and collaborate with engineers to remove routine testing from their plates while upholding high data integrity.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent hands-on experience in materials testing.
• 3+ years operating mechanical test equipment.
• Experience with specimen preparation and precision measurement.
• Follow standardized ASTM/ISO methods exactly.
• Strong traceability and data capture habits.
• Safety-minded and able to work with shop tools.
• Ability to manage a queue in a fast-paced lab.
• Ability to obtain US Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Run tensile, compression, and other tests to established methods.
• Prepare, machine, label, and track test specimens.
• Own data quality from capture to reporting.
• Maintain uptime through routine lab upkeep and calibration.
• Take routine testing off engineers’ plates to free their time.
• Uphold lab safety and order.

Skills

Hands-on testing

Data accuracy

Lab safety mindset

Queue management

Education

Associate degree or equivalent

Tools

Servo-hydraulic load frames

Test fixturing

Calipers & micrometers

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 JOB

Anduril designs and fields systems across an unusually broad materials portfolio, and the design decisions behind them depend on mechanical test data that is accurate, repeatable, and delivered on time. This role owns the execution of that testing.

This is your opportunity to be the person who makes the materials lab run — turning a growing set of capital equipment into dependable throughput, taking routine testing off engineers’ plates, and setting the standard for how mechanical testing gets done. You’ll own the bench, not just a task on it.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Run Mechanical Testing. Execute tensile, compression, and other mechanical tests to established methods (e.g., ASTM / ISO) across programs — set up fixturing, operate the load frame, and capture results accurately.
• Prepare and Manage Specimens. Machine, measure, label, and track test specimens, maintaining traceability from receipt through reported result.
• Own Data Quality. Capture, reduce, and record test data so results are accurate, complete, and analysis-ready for the engineering team.
• Keep the Lab Running. Perform routine equipment upkeep, calibration checks, and consumable management to maximize uptime and equipment utilization.
• Take Testing Off Engineers’ Plates. Absorb routine test execution so engineering time returns to design, analysis, and program support rather than running the bench.
• Uphold Lab Safety and Order. Maintain a safe, clean, well-organized lab and follow all material‑handling, PPE, and safety protocols.

WHO YOU ARE

• You take pride in doing hands‑on work precisely and repeatably. A test run to method and data you can stand behind is its own reward.
• You are meticulous about the details that make data trustworthy — alignment, calibration, labeling, and traceability.
• You have a bias for action and ownership. You keep the queue moving and don’t wait to be asked.
• You communicate clearly with the engineers you support, surfacing anomalies rather than burying them.
• You care about a safe, orderly lab and treat the equipment like it’s your own.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate degree in a technical field, or equivalent hands‑on experience in a materials, mechanical, or manufacturing test environment
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience operating mechanical test equipment (servo‑hydraulic or electromechanical load frames)
• Experience with specimen preparation and machining, precision measurement (calipers, micrometers, extensometers), and test fixturing
• Working knowledge of standardized test methods (e.g., ASTM / ISO) and the discipline to follow them exactly
• Careful data‑capture and record‑keeping habits, with strong attention to traceability
• Comfort with basic shop and hand tools and a strong lab‑safety mindset
• Ability to manage a queue of work and shifting priorities independently in a fast‑paced environment
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Active U.S. Secret or Top Secret security clearance
• Experience with fatigue, fracture, or other advanced / dynamic mechanical testing
• Experience testing advanced or non‑standard materials — composites, high‑temperature alloys, or additively‑manufactured parts
• Familiarity with metallography or specimen sectioning, mounting, and polishing
• Hands‑on experience with test‑frame software and data‑acquisition systems (e.g., Instron, MTS)
• Calibration, gauge R&R, or equipment‑maintenance experience

US Hourly Range

$41—$54 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.