Mission Systems Lead – Autonomous Aerial Vehicle

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 253,000 - 336,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking a Mission Systems Lead to guide the Omen program. You will lead a technical team responsible for mission perception, autonomy, and payloads, delivering integrated systems from concept through delivery.

This role emphasizes ownership, fast iteration, and close collaboration with Vehicle Software and external vendors. Candidates should have senior robotics or software engineering experience and a track record of leading cross‑functional teams.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Senior or staff robotics or software development engineer.
• Experience managing engineering teams within a high performing technology organization.
• Experience with the development and sustainment of distributed software platform and application architectures, running under dynamic network topologies.
• Experience with Python and modern systems/application programming languages (e.g., C++, Rust).
• Deep understanding of autonomous systems, inclusive of perception and payload capabilities across commercial and military mission sets.
• Experience within the product delivery lifecycle including manufacturing, system acceptance, deployment, and sustainment.
• Familiarity with vehicle management systems and Systems Engineering concepts, including requirements traceability and ICDs.
• Familiarity with modular open systems approaches and standard interface protocols for air vehicle mission systems.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and delivery of fully operational mission systems for a new Anduril platform, covering perception, autonomy, and payloads.
• Build and lead the Mission Systems team. Hire and manage multi-disciplinary engineers, mentor, set standards.
• Define and own the technical roadmap for Omen Mission Systems across short, medium, and long term horizons.
• Mission Autonomy: Own the software stack enabling autonomous execution of customer missions.
• Mission Payloads: Own integration of payload modules with host vehicle, including power, bandwidth, timing, and interfaces.
• Mission Perception: Own sensing and world model development, safe navigation in GPS-denied conditions.

Skills

Senior/Staff robotics eng

Engineering team leadership

Distributed software architectures

Python & C/C++/Rust

Autonomous systems

Product lifecycle

Vehicle management systems

Modular open systems

Security clearance eligible

Education

Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Mechatronics, Computer Science, Engineering, a relevant field, or equivalent experience

Job description

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking a Mission Systems Lead to guide the Omen program. You will lead a technical team responsible for mission perception, autonomy, and payloads, delivering integrated systems from concept through delivery.

This role emphasizes ownership, fast iteration, and close collaboration with Vehicle Software and external vendors. Candidates should have senior robotics or software engineering experience and a track record of leading cross‑functional teams.