R&D Engineering Fabrication Technician

Anduril Industries, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries, Inc. is seeking an R&D Engineering Technician in Costa Mesa, CA. This role focuses on turning CAD/drawings into test-ready hardware with a balance of mechanical fabrication, instrumentation, harnessing, and development-test operations.

You will work with engineers to identify manufacturability risks, procure prototype parts, and move quickly without compromising safety, documentation, or design authority.

Qualifications

• Proven hands-on prototype machining, fabrication, or closely related hardware experience.
• Ability to convert approved CAD/drawings into finished parts with mills, lathes or CNC equipment.
• Read mechanical drawings, GD&T tolerances, and identify manufacturability constraints.
• Experience coordinating internal or external machine shops while maintaining engineering approvals.
• Strong documentation, safety mindset, and communication across engineering customers.

Responsibilities

• Machine and fabricate prototype parts from CAD/drawings using manual, CNC, or rapid-rework methods.
• Provide feedback on manufacturability, tolerances, materials, tooling, and inspection.
• Coordinate with machine shops to schedule work and ensure part quality.
• Set up and troubleshoot instrumentation and data-acquisition for development testing.
• Build and troubleshoot cables, harnesses, and electromechanical assemblies.
• Prepare and execute tests in partnership with engineering, test, and safety teams.

Skills

Prototype machining

Fabrication

GD&T

Reading drawings

Machine shop coordination

Safety/documentation

Education

B.S., Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Mastercam

CAM

CMM

Metrology

First-article inspection

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 team

Lethality Engineering develops and tests advanced ordnance and munitions technologies. The team turns early concepts into physical prototypes, learns through rigorous testing, and partners across engineering, test, safety, manufacturing, and operations to move promising designs toward reliable products.

About the job

We are looking for an R&D Engineering Technician with strong prototype-machining and fabrication capability to turn approved CAD and drawings into test-ready hardware in Costa Mesa, California. Roughly half of the role is mechanical fabrication; the balance includes instrumentation, harness troubleshooting, supplier coordination, and development-test operations. You will work directly with engineers to identify manufacturability risks, make or procure prototype parts, and move fast without compromising safety, documentation, or design authority.

What you'll do

• Machine and fabricate one-off and low-volume prototype parts from approved CAD, drawings, and technical direction using appropriate manual, CNC, hand-fabrication, tooling, fixture, or rapid-rework methods.
• Review parts with engineers and provide specific feedback on manufacturability, tolerances, materials, tooling, access, inspection, and lower-risk fabrication approaches.
• Create purchase requests, coordinate purchase orders, and work directly with internal or external machine shops to resolve drawing questions, schedule work, and confirm finished-part quality.
• Set up and troubleshoot instrumentation, sensors, high-speed imaging, pressure or acoustic measurement systems, and data-acquisition equipment for development testing.
• Build and troubleshoot cables, harnesses, connectors, and electromechanical assemblies using approved drawings, schematics, and inspection methods.
• Prepare and execute approved arena, flight, and system-level tests in partnership with engineering, test, range, and safety teams.
• Maintain accurate build, inspection, supplier, and test records; document redlines, discrepancies, anomalies, and buildability feedback.
• Handle controlled materials and operate equipment only within your qualifications, procedures, and authorization; stop and upscale when conditions change.
• Manage ad hoc requests and competing priorities with limited daily oversight, communicate constraints early, and improve how work enters and moves through the prototype pipeline.

Required qualifications

• 4 or more years of hands-on prototype machining, fabrication, toolroom, model-making, or closely related high-mix hardware experience, or equivalent evidence of independence.
• Demonstrated ability to take an approved CAD model or mechanical drawing to a finished part using mills, lathes, CNC equipment, hand tools, fixtures, and appropriate inspection methods.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, understand GD&T, tolerances, materials, and inspection requirements, and identify manufacturability constraints before work begins.
• Experience coordinating internal or external machine shops and resolving technical questions while preserving engineering approval boundaries.
• Reliable organization, safety judgment, documentation, and communication across ad hoc work and multiple engineering customers.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Preferred qualifications

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering
• Mastercam or comparable CAM experience; CMM, metrology, precision inspection, or first-article experience.
• Injection molding, welding, sheet-metal, additive-manufacturing, fixture, tooling, or rapid-rework experience.
• Experience setting up or troubleshooting instrumentation, sensors, high-speed cameras, or data-acquisition systems.
• Experience building or troubleshooting cables, harnesses, connectors, or electromechanical assemblies.
• Hands-on experience with explosives, energetic materials, ordnance, munitions, range operations, or other tightly controlled hazardous work.
• An active U.S. security clearance, CDL or DOT medical card, or relevant hazardous-material qualification when applicable to the confirmed scope.

US Hourly Range

$48.56 - $64.91 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 .

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.