Senior Manufacturing Engineer, High-Speed Missiles

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity grants

Support in health and recovery

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to manage the production lifecycle of advanced hypersonic missile systems. You will design and optimize assembly lines while collaborating closely with design engineers to ensure product manufacturability.

The role requires a background in aerospace or mechanical engineering and a strong record of New Product Introduction (NPI). Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in manufacturing infrastructure and the capability to lead transition phases from prototype to scale.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing or a related field.
• Experience in New Product Introduction (NPI) from cradle to grave.
• Skills in designing and setting up manufacturing processes and infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Own the production line and continuously optimize processes.
• Collaborate with design engineers for DFM and DFA.
• Lead the transition from prototyping to high-rate manufacturing.

Skills

Autonomy

Self-sufficiency

Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

Design for Assembly (DFA)

Problem-solving

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace/Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

CAD Tools

Prototyping Tools

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 Missiles Manufacturing Engineering team at Anduril is dedicated to rewriting the playbook for precision strike and deterrent capabilities. Modern threats demand a paradigm shift in how tactical weapons are designed and produced, and our team is rapidly scaling production to deliver the unprecedented volume, speed, and affordability that U.S. and Allied forces require. On this team, you will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking programs like our Barracuda family of air‑breathing missiles—including all of its highly adaptable sub‑variants—as well as cutting‑edge hypersonic missile systems and a pipeline of next‑generation strike technologies. As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will own the production lifecycle of one of these critical weapons systems, driving high‑rate assembly lines and leading rapid production ramps from prototype to scale. In this role, you will be deeply embedded in the entire lifecycle of these state‑of‑the‑art systems, bridging the gap between initial design and physical production. You will have the autonomy to take on massive, complex projects and own them from cradle to grave. We are looking for engineers with a fierce sense of ownership and an insatiable drive to push their technical boundaries. If you thrive in the face of ambiguity, welcome the challenge of complex engineering problems, and are excited to step outside of your comfort zone to build the future of defense, this is the place for you.

About the Role

As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer on the High‑Speed Missiles team, you will be at the absolute bleeding edge of aerospace and defense technology. Hypersonic flight—sustained travel at speeds of Mach 5 and beyond—represents one of the most demanding engineering challenges of our time. To survive these extreme environments, our vehicles must withstand intense thermal, aerodynamic, and structural forces. Historically, hypersonic systems have been built like low‑volume, bespoke science projects. At Anduril, we are changing that. Your mission is to bridge the gap between cutting‑edge physics and high‑rate industrial output. You will be the bridge between design and production, transforming highly complex, next‑generation hypersonic vehicles into manufacturable, repeatable, and scalable products. This is a high‑impact, high‑ownership role. You will not just be maintaining a pre‑existing assembly line; you will be architecting the future of hypersonic production from the ground up.

What You'll Do

• Own the Production Line: Design, commission, and continuously optimize the assembly lines, work cells, and floor layouts for our hypersonic missile programs.
• Bridge Design and Manufacturing: Collaborate intimately with design engineers during the early development phases to drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), ensuring the vehicle is optimized for high‑rate production.
• Pioneer Advanced Processes: Develop and scale manufacturing processes for exotic materials, advanced composite structures, thermal protection systems (TPS), and high‑performance propulsion integration (such as rocket motors and air‑breathing engines).
• Design Tooling & Equipment: Architect, procure, and qualify custom assembly tooling, fixtures, and automated assembly equipment to increase throughput and quality.
• Drive From Prototype to Rate: Lead the transition of hardware from first‑article prototyping through Low‑Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and into mature, high‑rate manufacturing.
• Solve Complex Shop‑Floor Challenges: Act as the first line of defense for the manufacturing floor, rapidly troubleshooting and resolving complex engineering and production anomalies.
• Author Technical Standards: Create and maintain work instructions, manufacturing bills of materials (MBOMs), routing, and quality documentation.

Required Qualifications

• Educational Background: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related STEM discipline.
• Proven NPI Track Record:
  • Owning a clean‑sheet design/New Product Introduction (NPI) product from cradle to grave.
  • Owning a complex manufacturing process from cradle to grave across multiple products.
  • Owning a high‑impact product from cradle to grave across multiple manufacturing processes.
• Extreme Autonomy & Self‑Sufficiency: A proven "drop‑in" operator with a strong bias for action. You require minimal oversight, and you thrive in ambiguous environments by proactively hunting down information (digging into BOMs, driving design partners, and holding schedules accountable).
• Early‑Stage DFM/DFA: Strong experience collaborating with design engineering in the earliest phases of development to provide aggressive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) feedback.
• Production Infrastructure & Tooling Ownership: Proven ability to build a manufacturing footprint from scratch. This includes designing and setting up physical work centers, establishing factory layouts, authoring work instructions, designing or sourcing custom tooling and fixtures, and procuring capital equipment.
• Travel: Willingness to travel occasionally (<10%) to support global manufacturing operations.
• U.S. Person Status: Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities.
• Clearance Status: Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Security clearance.
• YoE: 8+ years of experience working in manufacturing or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hypersonics Experience: Direct experience working on hypersonic vehicles, scramjets, rocket propulsion, thermal protection systems (TPS), or high‑temperature structures/materials is highly valued.
• Aerospace & Defense Domain Expertise: Experience working on complex aerospace systems, tactical missiles, launch vehicles, satellites, or high‑performance automotive platforms.
• High‑Rate Scaling: Experience transitioning a highly complex hardware product from low‑volume prototyping/LRIP (Low‑Rate Initial Production) into automated, high‑rate manufacturing.

Salary Range

$146,000 — $194,000 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.