Senior Mechanical Engineer - UAV Hardware & Systems

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to own designs for avionics, mechanisms, thermal and fuel systems on unmanned air vehicles, from concept through production.

You will apply first principles physics, lead design reviews, coordinate with vendors, and build prototypes, with travel to test sites. A Bachelor's in ME or AE and 5+ years of experience, plus Siemens NX and familiarity with composites manufacturing, are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience.
• Proficiency designing mechanical parts using CAD software (Siemens NX preferred).
• Understanding of scalable manufacturing methods for composites, metal components and plastics (e.g. machining, sheet metal, composites, 3D printing, injection molding, etc.).
• Strong technical knowledge in core engineering principles and first principles physics.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own designs from concept generation to real world use including avionics, mechanisms, thermal systems, fuel systems, and other general design tasks as required.
• Develop and integrate hardware on unmanned air vehicles.
• Use first principles physics as a basis for every decision.
• Lead design reviews, run analysis, visit vendors, define and execute hardware test plans.
• Build prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful projects into production.
• Support critical hardware demonstrations with customers as needed.
• Travel to test sites as needed.
• Support the design and analysis of composite structures, including the development of tooling essential for high-volume production.

Skills

First principles physics

CAD design

Mechanical design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

CAD software

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

Roadrunner is part of Anduril's Air Dominance and Strike division. The Air Dominance and Strike Mechanical Engineering Team is responsible for designing and integrating advanced hardware for high speed air vehicles. Air Dominance and Strike Mechanical Engineers own the full development lifecycle, from concept generation, to integration and flight test, ensuring high-performance, resilient, and scalable mechanicalsystems that meet the demands of complex, contested environments.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own designs from concept generation to real world use including avionics, mechanisms, thermal systems, fuel systems, and other general design tasks as required.
• Develop and integrate hardware on unmanned air vehicles.
• Use first principles physics as a basis for every decision.
• Lead design reviews, run analysis, visit vendors, define and execute hardware test plans.
• Build prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful projects into production.
• Support critical hardware demonstrations with customers as needed.
• Travel to test sites as needed.
• Support the design and analysis of composite structures, including the development of tooling essential for high-volume production.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering or related roles.
• Proficiency designing mechanical parts using CAD software (Siemens NX preferred).
• Understanding of scalable manufacturing methods for composites, metal components and plastics (e.g. machining, sheet metal, composites, 3D printing, injection molding, etc.).
• Strong technical knowledge in core engineering principles and first principles physics.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Broad experience working across multiple mechanical engineering domains (e.g. mechanisms, thermal systems, avionics, fuel systems, structures).
• Ability to adapt designs from metal components to composites, with a basic understanding of material trade-offs.
• Knowledge of advanced manufacturing techniques for composites and plastics.
• Hands-on experience with composites and tool design, including familiarity with out-of-autoclave fabrication methods.
• Experience in thermal and structural analysis.

US Salary Range

$129,000—$171,000 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.

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