Project Engineer, AD&S

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

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Full benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Project Engineer for the AD&S Manufacturing Engineering team to support the Manufacturing Development Plan and Product Development Process stage gates across programs, from cruise missiles to autonomous aircraft. You will learn the stage gate process, coordinate with program managers and chief engineers, and gain hands-on exposure to production and supplier sites.

This role suits a recent engineering graduate eager to learn, take ownership, and contribute across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Aerospace or Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 1-3 years of experience in manufacturing engineering or related role; co‑ops/internships count.
• Exposure to hardware design-to-production processes, even if not led by you.
• Strong organizational skills to track multiple deliverables across programs.
• Willingness to work cross-functionally from day one.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to produce concise updates.

Responsibilities

• Support MDP and PDP stage gate deliverables for AD&S programs under guidance.
• Coordinate with PMs, Chief Engineers, and ME managers to prepare decks.
• Track action items, risks, and manufacturing readiness gaps; report status.
• Review stage gate content for completeness and address gaps with teams.
• Coordinate across programs with differing timelines to keep deliverables on track.
• Represent ME in design trades, quality investigations, supply chain, and ops.
• Build cross-functional relationships and own assigned tasks through completion.
• Contribute to stage gate templates, checklists, and tracking tools.
• Spend time on production floors and supplier sites to understand manufacturing.
• Travel to production sites and partner facilities ~20%.

Education

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

Master's degree in engineering (preferred)

Tools

CAD software

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

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 (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.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third‑party service provider to conduct pre‑employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third‑party service provider provides risk‑intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public‑record information, and other lawful open‑source or commercial data sources. This third‑party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.