Senior Tracking Software Engineer, Space

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 191,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision, dental, life, and disability insurance

401(k) retirement plan with company match

Generous paid time off and holidays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking a Senior Tracking Software Engineer responsible for leading the development of advanced tracking algorithms for space situational awareness. You will architect multi-target tracking systems, mentor engineers, and drive technical decisions. The ideal candidate has over 8 years of experience designing tracking algorithms, proficiency in MATLAB, Python, and C++, and the ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic environment. Competitive salary range is $191,000—$253,000 with extensive benefits including health coverage, retirement plans, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience designing, implementing, and testing multi-target tracking algorithms.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in tracking algorithm development.
• Deep theoretical and practical expertise with state estimation techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering tasks supporting space and missile defense tracking missions.
• Architect and implement advanced object tracking and state estimation algorithms.
• Collaborate with software engineers to transition tracking algorithms to production C++ code.

Skills

Kalman filtering

MATLAB

Python

C++

data association methods

tracking algorithms

modeling and simulation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science

Tools

Monte Carlo analysis

hardware-in-the-loop testing

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

Anduril's Space team is dedicated to expanding our AI‑powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners. We’re developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a decisive advantage in this contested war‑fighting domain.

About The Job

We are looking for a Senior Tracking Software Engineer to join our rapidly growing team in Costa Mesa, CA. In this role, you will lead the development of advanced 2D and 3D tracking algorithms that maintain custody of space objects, processing sensor detections and messages into actionable tracks for space situational awareness missions. As a senior member of the team, you will architect and implement sophisticated multi‑target tracking systems using cutting‑edge state estimation and data association techniques, develop physics‑based models to validate performance, and mentor engineers while working closely with software teams to deploy your algorithms into operational systems. You will drive technical decisions, lead design reviews, and serve as a subject matter expert in tracking algorithms. This will require deep expertise in tracking algorithms, state estimation (Kalman filtering), data association methods (JPDA, MHT), proficiency in MATLAB, Python, and C++ , experience with modeling and simulation, and demonstrated technical leadership.

What You’ll Do

• Lead systems engineering and algorithm development tasks supporting space and missile defense tracking missions, providing technical direction and guidance to team members
• Architect and implement advanced object tracking and state estimation algorithms, including track initiation, maintenance, correlation, and termination
• Design and evaluate multi‑target tracking and multi‑sensor fusion approaches for EO/IR, RF, or hybrid sensor architectures
• Lead the implementation of advanced data association techniques including JPDA (Joint Probabilistic Data Association), MHT (Multiple Hypothesis Tracking), nearest neighbor, and track‑to‑track fusion methods
• Drive innovation in data association techniques, exploring novel approaches and optimizations for complex operational scenarios
• Build sophisticated physics‑based models and conduct modeling and simulation including Monte Carlo analysis, recorded sensor playback, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing to validate tracking performance
• Lead performance analysis, trade studies, and simulation‑based assessments of tracking robustness under challenging conditions (maneuvering targets, clutter, countermeasures, degraded sensing)
• Collaborate with and mentor software engineers to transition tracking algorithms from MATLAB/Python prototypes to production C/C++ code optimized for real‑time operational systems
• Drive the systems engineering lifecycle including requirements decomposition, trade studies on tracking approaches, verification and validation planning, and design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR)
• Lead technical documentation efforts and present at design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR) and customer engagements
• Mentor engineers in tracking algorithm development, state estimation theory, and best practices
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for tracking systems, advising program leadership on algorithm performance, risks, and opportunities

Required Qualifications

• Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or related technical field
• 8+ years of experience designing, implementing, and testing multi‑target tracking algorithms for aerospace, defense, or autonomous systems
• Demonstrated technical leadership in tracking algorithm development, including leading design efforts, mentoring team members, or serving as a subject matter expert
• Deep theoretical and practical expertise with state estimation techniques, including Kalman Filters (EKF, UKF), multi‑target tracking concepts, and Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) filters
• Proven experience developing tracking algorithms that handle track initiation, maintenance, correlation, and termination in operational systems
• Expert proficiency in algorithm development using MATLAB and/or Python with demonstrated experience transitioning algorithms to C++ for production deployment
• Extensive experience with modeling, simulation, and testing workflows including Monte Carlo analysis, sensor data playback, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments
• Strong ability to work collaboratively with software engineers, systems engineers, and test teams to integrate tracking algorithms into operational systems
• Excellent communication skills with experience presenting technical concepts to diverse audiences including engineers, program managers, and customers

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related technical field
• 10+ years of experience in tracking algorithm development for defense or aerospace applications
• Experience in one or more of the following domains: missile defense or space systems; EO/IR or RF sensors; kill vehicles, interceptors, or countermeasures
• Extensive experience handling challenging tracking scenarios including track fragmentation, ghost tracks, sensor outages, and high‑clutter environments
• Deep familiarity with real‑time system constraints, embedded systems, or edge compute optimization
• Demonstrated experience leading efforts within the systems engineering design cycle, including requirements decomposition and traceability, algorithm design and trade studies, verification and validation (V&V), and documentation and design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR)
• Experience with MBSE tools (Cameo, Rhapsody, DOORS)
• Experience with advanced tracking techniques such as Random Finite Set (RFS) methods, Probability Hypothesis Density (PHD) filters, or machine learning‑enhanced tracking
• Publication record in peer‑reviewed journals or conferences related to tracking, state estimation, or sensor fusion
• Experience briefing and interfacing with government customers (DoD, IC, or similar)
• Track record of delivering tracking solutions into operational systems or fielded products

US Salary Range

$191,000—$253,000 USD

Benefits

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:

• Health, vision, dental, life, disability, and other insurance coverage available at little to no cost to employees. • Flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses. • 401(k) retirement plan with company match. • Generous paid time off and holidays. • Opportunities for professional development and educational reimbursement. • Work‑life balance supportive policies and a culture of innovation. For more information, explore our benefits.