Payload Electrical Architect – Autonomous Drone Systems

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries seeks an Electrical Engineer to join the Maneuver Dominance team at our Costa Mesa HQ. You will own the payload electrical architecture from aircraft bus to deployment mechanisms and payload interfaces, and you’ll design firing circuits, arming/safing logic, and safety interlocks for mission-critical payloads.

You will collaborate on harness routing, SMS/VMS interfaces, GSE for integration, and EMC analyses in a hybrid-electric airframe.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years in aerospace or defense electrical engineering with payload or weapons electrical systems experience.
• Firing circuit design — EED circuits, arming/safing logic, and safety analysis
• Payload bus architecture — power, data, and control from aircraft bus to payload
• Aerospace harness design, including wiring through dynamic or articulated environments
• GSE design for payload integration support
• EMC analysis for safety-critical circuits (HERO/HERP/HERF awareness)
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Responsibilities

• Own the payload electrical architecture — design power delivery, data, and control wiring from the aircraft bus to payload interfaces through deployment mechanisms
• Design firing circuits and payload control electronics — arming/safing logic, continuity test interfaces, and ground-to-aircraft handoff protocols for mission-critical payloads
• Define and implement the mission/vehicle management system (SMS/VMS) electrical interface for payload control — command, status, and safety interlock signals
• Design harness routing through articulated deployment mechanisms — connector mate/de-mate logic and continuity assurance across all mechanism positions
• Design ground support equipment (GSE) — bench simulators, continuity test sets, and arming/safing control stations to support integration and range operations
• Perform EMC analysis for firing-circuit-class signals in a hybrid-electric airframe environment — identify HERO/HERP/HERF risks and define mitigation
• Support lab verification of the payload electrical chain — bench test through simulated bus to payload connector before aircraft integration
• Support on-aircraft integration and ground firing verification at range-cleared facilities

Skills

Firing circuit design

Payload bus architecture

Aerospace harness design

GSE design

EMC analysis

Clearance eligibility

Tools

MIL-STD-1760

Job description

Anduril Industries seeks an Electrical Engineer to join the Maneuver Dominance team at our Costa Mesa HQ. You will own the payload electrical architecture from aircraft bus to deployment mechanisms and payload interfaces, and you’ll design firing circuits, arming/safing logic, and safety interlocks for mission-critical payloads.

You will collaborate on harness routing, SMS/VMS interfaces, GSE for integration, and EMC analyses in a hybrid-electric airframe.