Programs Chief Engineer, Dive XL

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 254,000 - 336,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Competitive equity grants

Top-tier recovery benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Chief Engineer for their Dive-XL autonomous underwater system in Costa Mesa, California. This role involves leading the technical vision and execution to ensure the system meets stringent performance and reliability requirements.

The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in autonomous systems, a strong ability in risk management, and notable mentorship skills. A commitment to innovation and excellence in challenging maritime environments is essential.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in complex autonomous systems.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to secure and maintain US Secret Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and engineering of Dive-XL system.
• Define the technical vision and strategic roadmap.
• Ensure system performance and reliability in maritime environments.

Skills

Systems engineering principles

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Risk management

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related

Tools

AUV technologies

Real-time operating systems

Embedded systems

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.

We are looking for a Chief Engineer to lead the technical vision, architecture, and execution for our Dive-XL autonomous underwater system within a major US undersea defense program. As the Chief Engineer, you will be the single point of technical accountability for the Dive-XL system, bridging hardware, software, and operational domains to deliver robust, reliable, and high-performing systems to the warfighter.

About The Role

As a Program Chief Engineer you will be responsible for defining and driving the system's architecture, technical roadmap, and overall engineering excellence. You will lead a multi‑disciplinary team of high‑performing engineers, ensuring that the system meets stringent performance, reliability, and mission requirements in challenging maritime environments. This role combines strategic technical leadership with direct hands‑on involvement in critical design and integration challenges.

What You'll Do

• Technical Leadership & Vision: Define and articulate the technical vision and strategic roadmap for the system, ensuring alignment with Anduril's broader Dive‑XL Core Platform and customer needs. Work directly with the product team (Product Manager, EPM, Lead Systems Engineer) to ensure tactical development is executed on plan.
• Architectural Design Authority: Serve as the ultimate technical authority for the system architecture, design decisions, and critical trade‑offs across all engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, software, autonomy, acoustics, materials).
• System Integration & Performance: Oversee the end‑to‑end development lifecycle, from requirements definition and conceptual design through detailed design, integration, test, and deployment.
• Test & Evaluation: Define and oversee the test and evaluation strategy, including acceptance criteria, test readiness reviews, and support to customer acceptance testing.
• Technical Problem Solving: Lead the resolution of complex technical challenges, acting as a hands‑on expert and guiding teams through difficult design, integration, or operational issues.
• Technical Trade‑offs: Drive build vs. buy decisions, manage technical debt, and balance speed of delivery against long‑term system sustainability.
• Team Mentorship & Development: Provide technical mentorship, guidance, and critical review for engineering teams, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and rigorous problem‑solving.
• Risk and Opportunity Management: Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks throughout the program lifecycle, developing contingency plans and advising program leadership.
• Customer & Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a primary technical point of contact for internal stakeholders, customers, and partners. Clearly communicate complex technical information, program status, and strategic direction. Manage cross‑team technical dependencies to ensure timely delivery of key capabilities, and shield the engineering team from scope disruption.
• Cross‑Site Coordination: Collaborate closely with the AU Chief Engineer counterpart to ensure technical alignment across program variants, share lessons learned, and maintain architectural consistency.
• Requirements Management: Ensure robust requirements decomposition, traceability, and verification plans are in place for all subsystems.
• Innovation & Research: Stay abreast of cutting‑edge technologies, research, and industry trends relevant to autonomous underwater systems, incorporating best practices and innovative solutions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in the design, development, integration, and deployment of complex autonomous systems.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience as a Chief Engineer, Technical Director, Lead Architect, Engineering Fellow, or equivalent senior technical leadership role on a major hardware/software program.
• Proficiency in systems engineering principles, including requirements management, interface control, verification, and validation.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor highly technical, multi‑disciplinary engineering teams.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a US Secret Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep expertise across multiple AUV sub‑domains, such as:
  • Hydrodynamics & Propulsion: Vehicle dynamics, control systems, thrusters.
  • Power Systems: Battery technologies, power management, high‑voltage systems.
  • Underwater Acoustics & Communications: Modems, sonar, acoustic navigation.
  • Navigation & Perception: INS/GPS‑denied navigation, vision systems, object detection/avoidance.
  • Autonomy & Control: Mission planning, decision‑making algorithms, real‑time control.
  • Materials Science & Corrosion: Marine‑grade materials, anti‑corrosion techniques.
  • Mechanical Design: Pressure hulls, payloads, articulation.
  • Software Architectures: Embedded systems, real‑time operating systems, distributed systems.
• Active US Secret Clearance or higher.
• Experience with the full lifecycle of US Navy and DoD acquisition programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of the NAVSEA technology adoption processes and its application to defense acquisition, particularly as it relates to technical requirements, risk management, and program execution.
• Experience with system safety engineering practices (e.g., MIL‑STD‑882) and familiarity with submarine/AUV safety certification processes.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices for autonomous systems.
• Expertise in AI/ML applications for AUV autonomy, perception, and decision‑making.
• Experience with advanced manufacturing techniques for marine systems.

US Salary Range

$254,000—$336,000 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 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 health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, explore our benefits.