Senior Electrical Engineer, Thunder Payload Integration

Mosaic.tech; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer to own the payload electrical architecture for the Thunder autonomous rotorcraft. You will design power, data, and control wiring from the aircraft bus to payload interfaces and deployment mechanisms.

You will develop firing circuits and safety interlocks, define SMS/VMS electrical interfaces, and ensure robust harness routing for dynamic environments, culminating in range verification and aircraft integration.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years in aerospace or defense electrical engineering with payload or weapons electrical systems experience.
• Firing circuit design — EED circuits, arming/safing logic, and safety analysis
• Payload bus architecture — power, data, and control from aircraft bus to payload
• Aerospace harness design, including wiring through dynamic or articulated environments
• GSE design for payload integration support
• EMC analysis for safety-critical circuits (HERO/HERP/HERF awareness)
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Responsibilities

• Own the payload electrical architecture — design power delivery, data, and control wiring from the aircraft bus to payload interfaces through deployment mechanisms
• Design firing circuits and payload control electronics — arming/safing logic, continuity test interfaces, and ground-to-aircraft handoff protocols for mission-critical payloads
• Define and implement the mission/vehicle management system (SMS/VMS) electrical interface for payload control — command, status, and safety interlock signals
• Design harness routing through articulated deployment mechanisms — connector mate/de-mate logic and continuity assurance across all mechanism positions
• Design ground support equipment (GSE) — bench simulators, continuity test sets, and arming/safing control stations to support integration and range operations
• Perform EMC analysis for firing-circuit-class signals in a hybrid-electric airframe environment — identify HERO/HERP/HERF risks and define mitigation
• Support lab verification of the payload electrical chain — bench test through simulated bus to payload connector before aircraft integration
• Support on-aircraft integration and ground firing verification at range-cleared facilities

Skills

Payload bus architecture

Firing circuit design

EMC analysis

Aerospace harness design

GSE design

Security clearance

Aerospace experience

Tools

MIL-STD-1760

EMC safety standards

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 Maneuver Dominance team is building Thunder - an autonomous attack rotorcraft built to fight alongside crewed combat aviation to deliver overwhelming mass effects deep beyond the front lines. The team in London builds the Mission System and the autonomy that makes aircraft like Thunder work. Autonomy is only as good as the link that carries it. Thunder is a compact airframe with weapons, sensors and radios competing for the same antenna real estate, flying low and in formation, in a spectrum that is actively contested. That is the problem you would own.

ABOUT THE JOB

Anduril is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to join the Thunder team at our Costa Mesa HQ. We need an Senior Electrical Engineer to own the payload power, data, and control electrical architecture — from the aircraft bus through the deployment mechanisms to the mission payloads — on this novel autonomous platform.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the payload electrical architecture — design power delivery, data, and control wiring from the aircraft bus to payload interfaces through deployment mechanisms
• Design firing circuits and payload control electronics — arming/safing logic, continuity test interfaces, and ground-to-aircraft handoff protocols for mission-critical payloads
• Define and implement the mission/vehicle management system (SMS/VMS) electrical interface for payload control — command, status, and safety interlock signals
• Design harness routing through articulated deployment mechanisms — connector mate/de-mate logic and continuity assurance across all mechanism positions
• Design ground support equipment (GSE) — bench simulators, continuity test sets, and arming/safing control stations to support integration and range operations
• Perform EMC analysis for firing-circuit-class signals in a hybrid-electric airframe environment — identify HERO/HERP/HERF risks and define mitigation
• Support lab verification of the payload electrical chain — bench test through simulated bus to payload connector before aircraft integration
• Support on-aircraft integration and ground firing verification at range-cleared facilities

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 3–6 years in aerospace or defense electrical engineering with payload or weapons electrical systems experience
• Firing circuit design — EED circuits, arming/safing logic, and safety analysis
• Payload bus architecture — power, data, and control from aircraft bus to payload
• Aerospace harness design, including wiring through dynamic or articulated environments
• GSE design for payload integration support
• EMC analysis for safety-critical circuits (HERO/HERP/HERF awareness)
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• MIL-STD-1760 implementation experience
• HERO/HERP/HERF electromagnetic hazard analysis
• Payload electrical integration on rotorcraft or VTOL platforms
• Hybrid-electric or high-voltage airframe EMC context
• Range operations support experience

US Salary Range: $129,000 — $194,000 USD

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.