Senior Advisor, Human-Machine Teaming

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 222,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in the United States seeks a Senior Advisor, Human-Machine Teaming to lead applied research at the intersection of frontline operations, engineering, and military science. You will design and execute field studies, capture operator feedback, and analyze cognitive load under stress during live exercises and deployments.

You will translate insights into actionable requirements for training, UX/UI, and hardware, publish white papers, and help steer training design and product

Qualifications

• Operational credibility with SOF experience and high-stress mission execution.
• Advanced academic or research focus in security or defense analysis.
• Experience designing mixed-method research in austere environments.
• Strong technical writing and ability to publish white papers.
• Ability to communicate across operators and software/hardware engineers.
• Willingness to travel globally up to 50%.
• Active U.S. security clearance (Top Secret/SCI preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead operational data collection and field research across global test events.
• Embed with customer units and field teams to capture ground truth feedback.
• Translate data into requirements for training curricula and product teams.
• Publish internal analyses and public-facing white papers.
• Coordinate knowledge transfer across the global Train & Advise footprint.
• Bridge operational rigor with defense science to validate CONOPs.
• Engage with defense labs and academic think tanks to benchmark insights.

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 Anduril

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 fielded. Anduril’s products are software-first, autonomous, and powered by Lattice OS—an intelligent software platform that turns thousands of disparate sensors and systems into a unified operational picture.

The Role

The Senior Advisor, Human-Machine Teaming sits at the critical intersection of frontline operations, engineering, and military science. As autonomous systems, distributed sensor networks, and intelligent weapons are fielded across contested domains, understanding how warfighters interact with, trust, and employ autonomous systems under stress is vital to mission success.
In this role, you will lead the applied research through systematic collection and operational analysis of user-operator feedback across global test events, training pipelines, and forward-deployed environments. You will bridge the gap between frontline operational reality (drawing from modern operational doctrines and special operations tactics) and cutting-edge academic inquiry into Human-Machine Teaming (HMT). Your contributions will consist of validated research findings, actionable recommendations, and demonstrated improvements in operator or system performance. Those insights will directly steer Anduril’s training design, accelerate product iteration cycles, and establish Anduril as a thought leader in the employment of autonomous systems in modern conflict.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Operational Data Collection & Field Research:
  Design and execute structured qualitative and quantitative field research protocols to capture operator experiences, cognitive load, trust dynamics, and human-machine teaming performance during live exercises, operational deployments, and training evolutions.
• Frontline Operational & Training Insights:
  Embed alongside customer units and Anduril field teams globally to capture ground-truth operational feedback, identifying friction points in doctrine, system utilization, and training delivery.
• Inform Training & Product Architecture:
  Translate operational data into actionable requirements for training curriculum developers, UX/UI designers, and software/hardware product managers to iteratively refine Lattice OS and hardware interfaces.
• Publish White Papers & Thought Leadership:
  Synthesize empirical operational findings into rigorous internal analyses and public-facing white papers, driving military doctrine development, CONOPs modernization, and industry dialogue regarding autonomy in contested environments.
• Lead Internal Communications for Global Train & Advise:
  Own and streamline operational knowledge transfer across the global Train & Advise footprint. Author executive summaries, field intelligence digests, and operational post-mission reviews to ensure distributed teams and executive stakeholders maintain real-time visibility into operator trends.
• Bridge Operational Rigor and Academic Defense Science: (SOF/Academic Aligned)
  Develop operational frameworks that translate intuitive warfighter behaviors into empirically measurable data points, validating new CONOPs for autonomous swarms, collaborative combat systems, and distributed C2.
• Engage Defense & Research Ecosystems: (SOF/Academic Aligned)
  Interface with key stakeholders across defense science, research labs, military experimentation offices (e.g., DARPA, DIU, Warfighting Labs), and academic think tanks to benchmark Anduril’s operational insights against emerging military theory.

What You Have

• • Operational Credibility:
    Demonstrated operational credibility with substantial experience working with or as part of Special Operations Forces (SOF) or specialized expeditionary units involving distributed operations, tactical mission planning, and high-stress operational execution.
  • Academic Research Focus:
    Master’s degree or Ph.D. (or equivalent demonstrated publication track record) in Security Studies, Defense Analysis, Cognitive Science, Military Science, Human Systems Integration (HSI), or a related field focusing on the impact of emerging technologies and autonomy on modern warfare.
  • Methodological Fluency:
    Demonstrated experience designing mixed-method research frameworks (structured interviews, ethnographic observation, cognitive workload evaluation, operational telemetry correlation) in austere or time-sensitive field environments.
  • Exceptional Communication & Authorship:
    Proven track record of authoring white papers, field studies, or peer-reviewed operational analyses that bridge deeply technical concepts and real-world military tactics.
  • Cross-Functional Fluency:
    Ability to speak the native language of both the forward tactical operator (SOF/infantry/operators) and Silicon Valley software/hardware engineers.
  • Flexibility & Travel:
    Willingness to travel up to 50% globally, embedding in tactical test ranges, partner nation training sites, and forward operating environments.
  • Clearance:
    Must possess an active U.S. Secret clearance (Top Secret / SCI preferred or eligible).

Preferred Qualifications

• • Prior experience evaluating or designing curriculum for un-crewed platforms (sUAS, C-UAS, UUVs, or counter-autonomous systems).
  • Familiarity with human-in-the-loop (HITL), human-on-the-loop (HOTL), and autonomous C2 software architectures.
  • Experience running experiments or operational assessments alongside military test organizations (e.g., USSOCOM S&T, Service Warfighting Labs, operational test squadrons).

Why Join Anduril Global Train & Advise?

The Global Train and Advise team does not merely teach operators which buttons to press; we define how modern militaries fight with software-defined systems. In this role, you will not be an observer—you will shape the doctrine, interfaces, and tactical employment frameworks for the next generation of deterrence and war-fighting.

US Salary Range

$167,000 — $222,000 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:

Benefits

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.