Project Engineer, AD&S

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries seeks a Project Engineer for its AD&S Manufacturing Engineering team to support Manufacturing Development Plan and Product Development Process stage-gate deliverables. You’ll work with program managers, chief engineers, and manufacturing managers to gather material, track action items, and ensure readiness across multiple programs.

This role offers exposure to design, quality, supply chain, and operations, helping you build expertise in how defense hardware moves from design

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 1–3 years in manufacturing engineering, production, or related role; co-op/internship/capstone counts.
• Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes and product development.
• Strong organizational skills to track multiple deliverables.
• Willingness to engage cross-functionally from day one.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Interest in manufacturing; hands-on hardware experience is a plus.
• Self-motivated and proactive; takes initiative.
• World-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to export controls.

Responsibilities

• Support the execution of MDP and PDP stage gate deliverables for manufacturing engineering across AD&S programs.
• Coordinate with PPMs, PMs, Chief Engineers, and ME managers to gather and prepare stage gate decks and presentations.
• Track stage gate action items, open risks, and manufacturing readiness gaps; report status.
• Review ME stage gate content for completeness and address gaps with program teams.
• Coordinate across multiple programs with different timelines to keep deliverables on track.
• Support cross-functional projects as Manufacturing Engineering representative in design, quality, supply chain, and operations.
• Build relationships across design engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations.
• Take ownership of tasks and drive them to completion.
• Contribute to templates, checklists, and tracking tools for stage gates.
• Spend time on the production floor and at supplier sites to learn manufacturing.
• Travel to production sites and suppliers (~20%).

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Project coordination

Stage gate processes

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical communication

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Willingness to travel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Aerospace/Industrial Engineering or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

CAD software

MS Office

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

Anduril's Air Dominance & Strike (AD&S) Manufacturing Engineering team is seeking a Project Engineer to support the execution of Manufacturing Development Plan (MDP) and Product Development Process (PDP) stage gate deliverables across AD&S programs. This role spans both Air Strike and Air Dominance product lines — from cruise missiles and loitering munitions to autonomous aircraft — and is an excellent opportunity for a recent engineering graduate to develop deep expertise in how complex defense hardware moves from design through production. Working under the guidance of Staff and Senior-level Project Engineers, you will learn the stage gate process from the inside — helping coordinate, prepare, and track the deliverables that determine whether programs are ready to advance. You are a manufacturing engineer at heart, and this role will build your understanding of what manufacturing readiness looks like at every phase of product development. You will work with Product Program Managers, Program Managers, Chief Engineers, and Manufacturing Engineering managers and their teams to assemble review materials, track action items, and support gate content through to completion. You will also support ad-hoc, cross-functional projects as the Manufacturing Engineering representative — gaining exposure to design, quality, supply chain, and operations challenges that will accelerate your growth as an engineer. This role is built for someone who is eager to learn, comfortable working across teams, and ready to take on real responsibility from day one.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Support the execution of MDP and PDP stage gate deliverables for manufacturing engineering across AD&S programs, working under the guidance of Staff and Senior Project Engineers.
• Help coordinate with PPMs, PMs, Chief Engineers, and ME managers to gather, organize, and prepare stage gate review decks and presentations.
• Track stage gate action items, open risks, and manufacturing readiness gaps — following up with owners and reporting status to the project engineering team.
• Review ME stage gate content for completeness, flagging gaps and working with program teams to address them before reviews.
• Help coordinate across multiple programs running on different timelines, ensuring deliverables stay on track.
• Support ad-hoc, cross-functional projects as assigned — representing Manufacturing Engineering in design trades, quality investigations, supply chain discussions, and operational problem-solving.
• Build working relationships with design engineering, quality, supply chain, operations, and program management — learning how cross-functional collaboration drives results in a fast-moving environment.
• Take ownership of assigned tasks and drive them to completion, asking for help when needed but not waiting to be told what to do next.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of stage gate templates, checklists, and tracking tools.
• Spend time on the production floor and at supplier sites to build firsthand understanding of how products are manufactured.
• Travel to production sites, suppliers, and partner facilities (~20%, depending on business needs).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• 1-3 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production, or a related role. Co-op, internship, or capstone project experience in a manufacturing environment counts.
• Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes and product development — you have exposure to how hardware goes from design to production, even if you haven't led it yourself.
• Strong organizational skills — ability to track multiple deliverables across programs and keep things from falling through the cracks.
• Willingness to engage cross-functionally with program management, design engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations from day one.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills — you can put together a clear slide, write a concise status update, and follow up on action items without being asked twice.
• A genuine interest in manufacturing and a drive to understand how things are actually built. Personal experience physically building or working on hardware (machining, assembly, soldering, 3D printing, personal projects) is a strong plus.
• Self-motivated and proactive — you take initiative, ask good questions, and close the loop on what you commit to.
• An attitude of world-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail, and dedication.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where you will be learning and contributing simultaneously.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in engineering or a related field.
• Internship or co-op experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing.
• Exposure to stage gate processes, manufacturing readiness reviews, or product development lifecycle frameworks.
• Familiarity with AS9100 or similar quality management systems.
• Experience with project tracking tools, data analysis, or presentation development.
• Proficiency in CAD software and familiarity with manufacturing technologies across multiple disciplines (machining, composites, electronics, assembly).
• Appropriate clearance classification.

Per Anduril's expansion plans, we anticipate this job will be based out of Long Beach, CA beginning late 2027.

US Salary Range

$129,000 - $171,000 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 .

EXPORT CONTROLS - This position requires access to information and technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Your responses to the questions below will be used solely to determine your eligibility under U.S. law to receive information and materials subject to U.S. export controls.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

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.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

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 veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.