NPI Technician: Prototyping, Testing & First Article

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

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking an experienced NPI Technician to support development, testing, and manufacturing of innovative systems.

You will assemble, test, and troubleshoot prototypes, participate in process development, first article builds, and ensure quality through inspection and data‑driven analysis. The role emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and compliance with design verification and validation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a technician in NPI, manufacturing, or assembly environments.
• Hands-on assembly and troubleshooting of mechanical, electro-mechanical, and optical systems.
• Strong knowledge of GD&T and ability to read engineering drawings.
• Experience with CNC machining, injection molding, and precision assembly.
• Proficiency with micrometers, calipers, and CMMs.
• Familiarity with creating and utilizing test rigs, fixtures, and tooling to streamline production and testing.
• Experience with first article builds, design verification, and validation processes.
• Strong understanding of SPC and data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, Minitab).

Responsibilities

• Prototype assembly, testing, and troubleshooting of subsystems.
• Develop and refine manufacturing processes for new products.
• Support first article builds and transitions to production.
• Perform inspections using micrometers, calipers, CMMs.
• Set up and maintain fixtures, tooling, and test rigs.
• Validate incoming materials with suppliers.
• Collect data and perform statistical analysis.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Skills

NPI experience

Mechanical assembly

Electro-mechanical

Optical systems

GD&T

CNC machining

Injection molding

CMM inspection

SPC analysis

Data analysis

Tools

CAD - SolidWorks

CAD - NX

Excel

Minitab

Job description

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking an experienced NPI Technician to support development, testing, and manufacturing of innovative systems.

You will assemble, test, and troubleshoot prototypes, participate in process development, first article builds, and ensure quality through inspection and data‑driven analysis. The role emphasizes cross‑functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and compliance with design verification and validation.