Mechanical Engineer

Mosaic.tech; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the payload carriage and release system development for Thunder. You will drive from initial concepts through low-rate production, collaborating with UK and US partners on cross-border integration and robust mechanical solutions.

The role requires hands-on engineering, strong CAD skills, and the ability to communicate across teams while maintaining security clearance readiness; you will prototype, test, and refine

Qualifications

• 7+ years in a technical engineering role in aerospace.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain active U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the physical design of the payload carriage and release system from concept to low-rate production.
• Define requirements and evaluate mechanical systems in collaboration with UK and US partners.
• Work with electrical, actuation, and mechanical teams to form a robust system.
• Lead design reviews, build prototypes, and test plans.
• Advance tools, templates, processes, and standards.
• Travel to test sites as needed.

Skills

7+ years engineering experience

Excellent communicator

Security clearance eligible

Education

BEng/BSc/MEng/MSc in mechanical or aerospace engineering or equivalent

Tools

NX/Teamcenter

CAD software

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 Maneuver Dominance team is building Thunder - an autonomous attack rotorcraft built to fight alongside crewed combat aviation to deliver overwhelming mass effects deep beyond the front lines. The team in London builds the Mission System and the autonomy that makes aircraft like Thunder work.

Autonomy is only as good as the link that carries it. Thunder is a compact airframe with weapons, sensors and radios competing for the same antenna real estate, flying low and in formation, in a spectrum that is actively contested. That is the problem you would own.

ABOUT THE JOB

Anduril is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to join the Maneuver Dominance team in our Costa Mesa office. The Maneuver Dominance (MD) Team at Anduril develops aerial robotic systems designed to operate in large coordinated teams in concert with ground maneuver forces.

Here you will work on core product development for unmanned rotorcraft and complex systems, including but not limited to design and development of a novel payload carriage and release system, analysis and testing of the system and its tooling design. The ideal candidate would be practical, hands-on and a self starter with high growth potential.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own and drive the physical design of the payload carriage and release for a novel aircraft type, overseeing the process from initial concept to low rate production.
• Define requirements, propose possible solutions, and establish a methodology for evaluating and verifying mechanical systems. This will involve close collaboration with partner organizations, in both the UK and US.
• Work in close partnership with other disciplines internal to Anduril to ensure the electrical, actuation, and mechanical systems collectively form a reliable, flexible, cost-effective system.
• Spearhead design reviews, conduct analysis, build prototypes and design and implement hardware test plans.
• Lead the enhancement of team tools, templates, processes, and standards.
• Cultivate a vibrant, positive, dedicated and educational collaborative work environment.
• Travel to test sites and vendors to support critical hardware demonstrations and development test activities as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• BEng, BSc, MEng, MSc or higher in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years in a technical engineering role in a professional aerospace setting, with demonstrated track record of successful stakeholder management, consensus building and successful project delivery.
• Experience in NX/Teamcenter and strong proficiency in CAD software with specific emphasis on rapid concepting and iteration of novel designs.
• Strong technical knowledge in core engineering principles, including fundamental mechanics of composite and metallic materials, design, analysis, testing, and fabrication.
• Deep understanding of load paths, design practices, and hand calculations to design robust structurally efficient assemblies.
• An excellent communicator, experienced in report writing and the development and delivery of presentations across a range of settings.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Thunder

• Experience with design and development of payload carriage and release systems.
• Experience in systems integration during airframe assembly, particularly focusing on mechanical systems.
• Experience in metrology verification methods and equipment used for aircraft assembly fixturing and part fabrication.
• Demonstrated passion for aviation, aerospace, and/or unmanned systems.
• Familiarity with running structural development testing.
• Outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills.

US Salary Range

$132,000 - $198,000 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.