Staff Manufacturing Engineer, Special Projects

Anduril Industries, Inc.; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health programs

Equity grants

Competitive salary

Job summary

Anduril Industries, Inc. is seeking a Staff Manufacturing Engineer with expertise in composites. You will lead technical efforts in medium to large-scale projects, ensuring adherence to industry standards and optimizing manufacturing processes.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years of relevant experience and a degree in engineering. The role offers a competitive salary ranging from $166,000 to $220,000, plus benefits including equity grants and comprehensive health programs.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing or design.
• Ability to mentor and guide teams effectively.
• Familiarity with multiple composite fabrication processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary expert for composites manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate early with Design Engineering for manufacturability.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives for operational efficiency.

Skills

Technical expertise in composites manufacturing

Lean and Six Sigma

Knowledge of PLM, ERP, MES

Creative problem solving

Education

Degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Staff Manufacturing Engineer, Special Projects

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 real‑time, 3‑D 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 Job

The Manufacturing team is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to be a subject‑matter expert in composites manufacturing. The team rapidly iterates and builds cutting‑edge defense hardware, including static equipment, moving ground equipment, and complex flight vehicles. Responsibilities cover the entire manufacturing value chain: design for manufacturability, tool design and selection, process creation and optimization, vendor sourcing, quality planning, and documentation.

What You’ll Do

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the primary technical expert for all composites manufacturing processes, assembly, and test methodologies.
• Provide expert consultation, guidance, and mentorship to manufacturing engineers, production teams, and cross‑functional departments.
• Stay abreast of emerging manufacturing technologies, materials, and industry trends specific to composites manufacturing, recommending and championing their adoption where beneficial.
• Evaluate, select, and integrate new manufacturing technologies and automation solution concepts into production.
• Ensure all manufacturing processes and products adhere strictly to industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal quality management systems.

New Product Introduction

• Leverage expertise in New Product Introduction (NPI) to seamlessly transition Anduril products from prototype to high‑volume production, optimizing manufacturability and supply‑chain scalability.
• Collaborate with Design Engineering teams early in the development process to provide feedback for Design For Manufacturability (DFM).
• Establish scalable DFM frameworks that enable consistent execution across multiple products, sites, and manufacturing partners.
• Review and analyze technical data packages (TDPs) for composite components to ensure completeness, accuracy, and manufacturability before supplier handoff.

Process Optimization & Improvement

• Develop and maintain composites workmanship standards, process parameters, and design rules aligned to evolving product and technology roadmaps.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma) to enhance product quality, reduce costs, decrease cycle times, and improve overall operational efficiency.
• Act as a technical liaison between various departments (Design, Quality, Supply Chain, Test, Operations).
• Present complex technical information, recommendations, and project updates to senior leadership and technical teams.
• Interface with key suppliers to resolve technical issues and ensure component manufacturability and quality.

Required Qualifications

• Degree in a technical field such as engineering, math, or a hard science.
• 8+ years of experience in a relevant field, manufacturing or design.
• Demonstrated ability to creatively integrate and deliver in a resource‑constrained environment.
• Ability to understand new concepts quickly; apply them accurately; organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases; and determine the appropriate approach at the task level or with assistance at the project level to provide solutions to a range of complex problems.
• Knowledge of PLM, ERP, MES, and other related manufacturing planning and management systems.
• Willingness to travel frequently (>25%) to support global manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated success in scaling product testing and production from tens/hundreds to hundreds/thousands.
• Experience designing and working with molds for composites made from a variety of materials, and a thorough understanding of tradeoffs in material selection.
• Expertise in multiple composite fabrication processes including: autoclave processing, resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum‑assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), out‑of‑autoclave processing, compression molding, filament winding.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export‑controlled information or facilities and eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

US Salary Range

$166,000 - $220,000 USD

Actual salary offers may vary based on experience, education, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are part of most full‑time offers. Additional top‑tier benefits include comprehensive health, recovery, and other programs.

We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.