Senior Development Fabrication Technician

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 51,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, California, seeks a Senior Fabrication professional to fabricate low-volume structural prototypes and weldments for advanced defense programs in a fast-paced R&D environment.

You will own the manufacturing process from concept to completion, working directly with design engineers to interpret dynamic drawings and GD&T, and proactively solving fit-up and manufacturability challenges on the shop floor.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on metal fabrication and welding in prototype/R&D contexts.
• 10+ years of experience with GMAW, FCAW, GTAW in steel, stainless, aluminum.
• Able to read complex engineering drawings, including GD&T.
• Proficient in basic conventional machining to ±0.005 inches.
• Strong problem-solving and practical mechanical reasoning on fabrication challenges.
• Team-oriented, mentoring mindset, and clear communication with engineers.

Responsibilities

• Review work orders, determine efficient build plans and production sequences for timely delivery.
• Fabricate small to large assemblies using build planning, layout, prep, welding, drilling, grinding, manual machining, and sawing.
• Own R&D tasks end-to-end: evaluate, design, order material, and execute fabrication.
• Design and build weld fixtures to hold stringent tolerances on complex weldments.
• Perform quality checks on finished hardware, flagging issues before program integration.
• Give direct feedback to design engineers on manufacturability, driving buildability improvements.
• Work safely and ensure adherence to OSHA and internal safety standards within the shop.

Tools

NX CAD

SolidWorks

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

The Senior Development Fabrication team, within Mechanical Services, builds in-house prototype hardware for Anduril's highest-priority defense programs. We work closely with design engineers, fabricating custom chassis, structural frames, and complex weldments from evolving designs. Our work directly contributes to the speed and agility required for national security.

About the job

You will fabricate low-volume structural prototypes and weldments for advanced defense programs in a high-tempo R&D environment. You will own the manufacturing process from concept to completion, working directly with design engineers, interpreting dynamic drawings/CAD, and proactively solving fit-up and manufacturability challenges on the shop floor. Your expertise will directly impact the quality and delivery of critical national security hardware.

What you'll do

• Review work orders, determine efficient build plans and production sequences for timely delivery.
• Fabricate small to large assemblies (independently or collaboratively) using build planning, layout, prep, welding, drilling, grinding, manual machining, and sawing.
• Own R&D tasks end-to-end with limited oversight: evaluate, design, order material, and execute fabrication.
• Design and build weld fixtures to hold stringent tolerances on complex weldments.
• Perform quality checks on finished hardware, flagging issues before program integration.
• Give direct feedback to design engineers on manufacturability, driving buildability improvements.
• Work safely and ensure adherence to OSHA and internal safety standards within the shop.

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on metal fabrication and welding experience in prototype, R&D, or low-volume production.
• 10+ years of expertise in GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW welding (steel, stainless, aluminum, exotic alloys).
• Proficiency in sheet metal fabrication and forming (finger brakes, slip rollers, bead rollers, etc.) with precise tolerance control.
• Able to accurately read and interpret complex engineering drawings, including GD&T.
• Proficiency in basic conventional machining (manual mill and lathe) to +/- 0.005 inches.
• Adaptable problem-solver: thrives in dynamic R&D, making sound technical decisions with incomplete or changing information.
• Strong shop math and practical mechanical reasoning for complex fabrication problem-solving.
• Agile and mission-driven: manages shifting priorities effectively, maintaining quality despite evolving national security program demands.
• Direct, collaborative communicator: professionally challenges designs and provides clear, constructive feedback to engineering on manufacturability.
• Team-first mentality: willing to mentor peers, share knowledge, and contribute to a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to access to export-controlled data.

Preferred qualifications

• CAD experience, ideally NX or SolidWorks.
• Working knowledge of start-to-finish sequencing for large-scale fabrication builds.
• High mechanical aptitude from aerospace, automotive, or motorsports backgrounds.
• Experience designing weld fixtures and holding tolerances on large weldments (e.g., within +/- 0.010 inches).
• Familiarity with aerospace welding standards such as AWS D17.1 or NAVSEA/D1.1.

US Hourly Range $37.02 - $49.04 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.