Staff Engineer, Rapid Integration & Test

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Benefits package

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, seeks a Staff Engineer to serve as a recognized technical expert on the RIT team, owning the most complex integration and instrumentation work for larger test assets. This is an individual-contributor role focused on hands‑on engineering and technical leadership.

You will build, integrate, instrument, and modify fixtures, power, avionics, wiring, and sensor payloads; set the technical direction for the team; mentor colleagues; and ensure safety and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline.
• 12+ years as a recognized expert with influence in the field.
• Deep hands-on UxS engineering: build, integration, modification.
• Experience taking complex hardware/software from concept to flight test.
• Knowledge of Pixhawk autopilot systems and ArduPilot stack.
• Hands-on rapid prototyping, 3D printing, laser cutting, composites.
• Experience with small UAS/drones and NAS regulations.
• Ability to set technical direction and mentor a team.
• Excellent communication skills; self-motivated; independent and collaborative.
• Willingness to travel and extend hours; eligible for U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex integration and instrumentation on large test assets and platforms from concept to capability.
• Hands-on build, integration, instrumentation, and modification of fixtures, power, avionics, wiring, sensors.
• Own the technical approach and influence RIT's direction in integration and instrumentation.
• Serve as technical authority across Business Lines, guiding cross-functional decisions.
• Set technical direction and mentor the team on larger, more complex platforms.
• Develop and execute streamlined test plans and ensure safety plan adherence.
• Navigate regulatory requirements and maintain compliance during testing.
• Participate in weekly stand-ups and provide SITREPs to leadership.

Skills

UxS engineering

Hardware integration

Power/avionics wiring

Sensor payload integration

Rapid prototyping

3D printing

Laser cutting

Composite materials

Flight test experience

UAS/NAS knowledge

Technical mentorship

Communication skills

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Pixhawk autopilot

ArduPilot stack

3D printing equipment

Laser cutting equipment

Composite material tooling

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 role

Anduril is seeking a Staff Engineer to serve as a recognized technical expert and senior individual contributor on the Rapid Integration and Test (RIT) team, within Test & Evaluation. You'll own the team's most complex integration and instrumentation work on larger, more capable test assets and platforms — accountable for results that shape RIT's technical direction. This is an individual-contributor role centered on hands‑on engineering and technical leadership, not people management.

What you'll do

• Lead the technical execution of complex integration and instrumentation efforts on the team's larger, more capable test assets and platforms, from concept through functional capability.
• Perform hands‑on build, integration, instrumentation, and modification: fixtures, materials, power and avionics work, wiring and networking, and sensor and payload integration.
• Own the technical approach for the team's most complex integration and instrumentation work, and be accountable for results that shape RIT's technical direction in that area.
• Serve as a recognized technical authority across Business Lines and partner programs — influencing decisions on complex integrations and contributing to cross‑functional initiatives.
• Set technical direction and, as part of that work, mentor the team as it takes on larger, more complex platforms.
• Develop and execute streamlined test plans, and ensure adherence to baseline safety plans.
• Cut through red tape while adhering to safety and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in weekly stand‑ups and provide Situation Reports (SITREPs) to leadership.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Typically 12+ years of relevant experience; recognized as a seasoned expert with significant influence in the field.
• Deep hands‑on UxS engineering expertise — build, integration, and modification (fixtures, materials, power/avionics), beyond integration‑to‑running.
• Experience taking complex hardware/software systems from concept through flight test.
• In‑depth knowledge of Pixhawk autopilot systems and the ArduPilot stack.
• Hands‑on experience with rapid prototyping, 3D printing, laser cutting, and composite materials.
• Practical experience with small UAS/drones; understanding of the National Airspace System and UAS regulations.
• Ability to set technical direction and mentor a team taking on larger, more complex platform work.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; self‑motivated; works independently and collaboratively.
• Willingness to travel and flexibility for extended hours.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
• In this role, you will be subject to pre‑employment and randomized substance screening, as required by the Company.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience integrating, instrumenting, or modifying complex platforms and test assets.
• Advanced degree in engineering, robotics, computer science, or a related field.
• Hands‑on experience with RC helicopters or UAVs — piloting, maintenance, troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with rotary‑wing aerodynamics and flight control systems.
• Autonomy/robotics programming (Python, C++, ROS); FAA Part 107.

US Salary Range $166,000 — $222,000 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.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

• No Financial Requests:Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
• Please always verify communications:
  • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to [e-mail].
• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach:If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud:Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to [e-mail]. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third‑party service provider to conduct pre‑employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third‑party service provider provides risk‑intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public‑record information, and other lawful open‑source or commercial data sources. This third‑party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.