Mechanical Engineer, Space Emerging Talent

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Health benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking an engineer to own a hardware subsystem from concept through launch, with hands-on, first-principles work on defense systems. You’ll influence design decisions, transition prototypes to flight hardware, and contribute across a full lifecycle.

This role emphasizes hands-on fabrication, CAD, and close collaboration with test and production teams. You'll operate on early-stage programs, travel to test sites, and help define testing and verification plans while

Qualifications

• BS or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related discipline.
• Strong foundation in mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, statics.
• Hands-on fabrication experience with shop equipment.
• CAD proficiency and ability to produce engineering drawings to standards.
• Experience on hands-on technical projects (competitions or co-ops).
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design hardware in CAD and perform structural analysis.
• Build prototypes and evaluate architecture and packaging trade-offs.
• Present at design reviews and communicate timelines.
• Define and execute test plans and analyze failures.
• Transition prototypes to flight hardware and production.
• Create drawings, test procedures, and vendor specifications.
• Travel to test sites and vendors as needed.

Skills

Mechanics of materials

Thermodynamics

Fluid dynamics

Heat transfer

Statics

Attention to detail

Self-starting

Education

BS in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

CAD software

NX/Teamcenter

Python / MATLAB

Fabrication shop tools

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

Anduril's Space team is dedicated to expanding our AI-powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners. We're developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a decisive advantage in this contested warfighting domain.

About The Job

You’ll be the responsible engineer for your subsystem, owning hardware from concept through launch. Most of our programs are early-stage, so you have real influence on design decisions and the chance to see your work fly. This is a hands‑on, first-principles role with full lifecycle ownership from day one.

What You’ll Do

• Design hardware in CAD, run hand calculations, perform structural analysis and build prototypes..
• Make architecture and packaging trade‑offs, continuously simplifying where possible.
• Present at subsystem design reviews and communicate technical status and timelines.
• Define and execute test plans, analyze failures, and visit vendors.
• Transition prototype designs to flight hardware and low-rate production.
• Create technical documentation — drawings, test plans, procedures, and vendor specifications.
• Travel to test sites and vendors as needed.

Required Qualifications

• BS or higher in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related discipline.
• Strong foundation in core engineering coursework: mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and statics.
• Hands‑on fabrication experience — you’ve personally used a mill, lathe, drill press, or similar shop equipment in a school shop, co‑op, or on your own time.
• CAD proficiency (any platform) and the ability to produce engineering drawings that meet common industry standards.
• Meaningful involvement in a hands‑on technical project — through a competitive engineering club (FSAE, Baja SAE, rocket team, CubeSat program) or a co‑op/internship where you designed and built real hardware.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Highly motivated and self‑starting, with the ability to define scope and requirements for problems that aren’t fully defined yet.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Shop teaching assistant experience (mill, lathe, CNC, welding) — candidates who taught the shop class after taking it stand out.
• Leadership role in a competitive engineering club (FSAE, Baja, aerospace/rocket team, CubeSat program).
• Experience integrating electronic components (PCBAs, motors, sensors) into mechanical designs.
• Co‑op or internship at a startup or fast‑paced engineering environment.
• Experience with NX/Teamcenter.
• Exposure to optical or RF system integration.
• Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for analytical models or data processing.
• Structural or thermal testing experience — sensor selection, data acquisition, post‑processing.

US Salary Range

$86,000—$114,000 USD

Benefits

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.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

To Ensure Your Safety And Help You Navigate Your Job Search With Confidence, Please Keep The Following Critical Points In Mind

• No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
• Please always verify communications:
  • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to [e-mail].
• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to [e-mail]. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third‑party service provider to conduct pre‑employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third‑party service provider provides risk‑intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public‑record information, and other lawful open‑source or commercial data sources. This third‑party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.