Autonomy Lead

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity grants

Job summary

Slope is looking for a technical leader to own the Body subsystem of a maritime autonomous vehicle. Responsibilities include managing structural, hydrodynamic, and propulsion design from concept to production, and interfacing with various systems.

The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in mechanical design for marine or aerospace systems and a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field. A competitive salary of $166,000 – $220,000 is offered, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical or structural design for marine, aerospace, or robotic systems.
• Demonstrated experience with structural analysis, hydrodynamics, or propulsion system design.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the Body subsystem architecture and manage designs across prototypes to production.
• Drive structural analysis and design of the vehicle hull and primary structure.
• Represent the body subsystem in technical and customer meetings.

Skills

Mechanical design

Hydrodynamic analysis

Propulsion system design

Project management

Technical mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, Aerospace Engineering

Tools

FEA tools

CFD tools

Job description

About the Team

Anduril's Maritime Division is responsible for planning and executing Anduril's product and revenue roadmap for maritime missions. Working across product, engineering, business development, logistics, and operations, the Maritime team develops, tests, deploys, and sustains Anduril maritime capabilities in a challenging operational environment worldwide. As a leader in the Maritime Division, you must be a technical leader with the expertise to evaluate, qualify, manage, and advocate for an increasing number of sophisticated parallel pursuits. This role is crucial in ensuring that each initiative aligns with the company's strategic direction and receives the appropriate resourcing, balancing innovation with practical execution to drive the business line's success.

About the Job

You will own the Body subsystem for a maritime autonomous vehicle, owning structural, hydrodynamic, propulsion, buoyancy, and actuation design from concept through production. Reporting to the Vehicle Systems Lead, you will set architecture for the hull structure, propulsion systems, buoyancy and trim systems, and actuation mechanisms. You will drive trade studies, manage subsystem budgets and schedules, and interface with other system leads on integration.

Your spectrum of support will be diverse in nature and require you to leverage your technical expertise as well as leadership skills to set objectives, build cross-functional teams, and rapidly drive to completion. The ability to leverage your intuition and prior experience will be key in making sure the right design, analysis, and test steps are completed to ensure success. The ideal candidate will leverage their experience executing and successfully completing prior highly optimized multi-disciplinary projects.

What you'll do

• Own the Body subsystem architecture: structure, propulsion, buoyancy, actuation, and mechanical interoperability
• Drive structural analysis and design of the vehicle hull and primary structure for full-ocean-depth operation
• Drive propulsion system design including thrusters, fairings, and hydrodynamic optimization
• Own buoyancy and trim system design, both passive and active
• Develop actuation and control hardware for vehicle maneuvering
• Define mechanical interfaces between body subsystem and other vehicle systems (energy, cognitive, payloads)
• Manage subsystem schedule and cost performance across prototype, LRIP, and FRP phases
• Provide technical mentorship to engineers across body subsystem disciplines
• Drive design-for-manufacturability in coordination with Production
• Represent the body subsystem in technical and customer meetings
• Interface with Vehicle Systems Lead and Chief Engineer on technical decisions
• Travel up to 25% to test sites and customer locations

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical or structural design for marine, aerospace, or robotic systems
• Experience taking mechanical or structural systems through full product development cycles
• Demonstrated experience with structural analysis, hydrodynamics, or propulsion system design
• Experience transitioning designs from prototype to production
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with autonomous underwater or surface vehicles
• Working knowledge of naval architecture principles (stability, buoyancy, resistance)
• Experience with composite structures, pressure vessels, or marine materials
• Familiarity with FEA and CFD tools
• Experience in defense or maritime robotics

Salary Range

$166,000 – $220,000 USD (base salary only. Compensation may vary by experience, education, and other factors. Equity grants and benefits are part of the total compensation package.)

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.