Production Progam Manager, Optics

Anduril Industries, Inc.; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries, Inc. is seeking an Optics Production Program Manager to scale and sustain precision optical assemblies for advanced defense systems.

You will drive execution across internal and external value streams, coordinating engineering, supply chain, quality, and production teams to translate plans into delivered hardware. The role calls for strong project management discipline, knowledge of optical supply chains, and relentless follow-through to drive outcomes across multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in production or operations program management, preferably in optical assembly or defense.
• Experience coordinating complex schedules across internal teams and external vendors.

Responsibilities

• Drive initiatives across the optical production value stream to enhance efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness.
• Track build schedules, monitor work-in-process, and coordinate across teams to resolve blockers and stay on plan.
• Serve as the focal point between external optical suppliers and internal teams to manage material flow and delivery performance.
• Lead internal special projects like production line moves, capacity expansion, or new tooling.
• Act as the connective tissue between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and program leadership to address design changes and issues with urgency.
• Manage transactional material flow and monitor budgets to improve bottom line.
• Maintain production dashboards and proactively identify risks with mitigations.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Optical assembly knowledge

ERP/MRP proficiency

Jira/Smartsheet/MS Project

Communication & organization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/OPS/related

Tools

Jira

Smartsheet

MS Project

ERP/MRP

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 JOB

The Optics Production Program Manager will support the Director of Optics Production play a critical role in scaling and sustaining production of precision optical assemblies for advanced defense systems. This role owns the execution rhythm across the internal and external value stream — driving tasking, coordination, and accountability to ensure production plans translate into delivered hardware. You will work closely with engineering, supply chain, quality, and production teams, both internally and with manufacturing partners, to keep complex optical production programs on track. The ideal candidate brings strong project management discipline, a working knowledge of optical supply chains and production, and the relentless follow-through needed to drive outcomes across multiple workstreams simultaneously.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Drive Accountability: Drive initiatives across the optical production value stream which are aligned with our production and growth objectives to enhance production efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness. Assign tasks, set deadlines, track completion, and hold internal teams and external vendors accountable for delivering on commitments. Run regular cadences to ensure follow-through.
• Production Execution & Coordination: Track build schedules, monitor work-in-process, and support the Director of production through coordinating across teams to resolve blockers and maintain on track to the Operating plan.
• Supplier Execution Management: Serve as the focal point between external optical suppliers and internal supply and production teams to orchestrate material flow, ensure delivery performance, action closure, and issue resolution. Track multi-tiered supplier schedules, manage expedites, escalated shortages, and drive vendors to meet production requirements.
• Special Projects: Lead internal special projects as directed — production line moves, capacity expansion initiatives, vertical integration, new tooling or fixture introductions, process qualification efforts, and other cross-functional initiatives critical to scaling optical production.
• Cross-Functional Program Coordination: Act as the connective tissue between engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and program leadership — ensuring that design changes, quality escapes, supplier issues, and capacity shifts are communicated and addressed with urgency.
• Resource & Cost Management: Manage and oversee transactional material flow between multi-tiered supply, ensuring accurate cost accounting and price visibility in coordination with finance. Ensure appropriate allocation of materials, labor and equipment to meet production goals. Monitor project budgets, track progress and ensure we are continually focused on solving the largest problems to improve the bottom line
• Metrics, Reporting & Risk Escalation: Maintain production dashboards tracking on-time delivery, open actions, supplier performance, and work order status. Proactively identify risks to production schedules and flag them early with proposed mitigations, ensuring transparency across programs.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in production or operations program management, project management, or manufacturing coordination within optical assembly, precision manufacturing, or an adjacent industry — defense or aerospace experience strongly preferred.
• Strong project management skills with a track record of driving cross-functional action items to closure on time.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex schedules across internal manufacturing and external vendors, holding multiple parties accountable simultaneously.
• Working knowledge of optical assembly processes, clean room environments, or precision electro-mechanical manufacturing.
• Strong command of ERP/MRP systems for production scheduling and material planning; proficiency with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Smartsheet, MS Project).
• Excellent communication, organization, and follow-through.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

US Salary Range

$146,000 - $194,000 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: 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 .

Voluntary Self-Identification

As set forth in Anduril Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a