Staff Technical Program Manager, Advanced Targeting Systems

Anduril; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, seeks a Senior/Staff Technical Program Manager to drive the design, development, and production scaling of the Advanced Targeting System, a rugged, mission-critical product that fuses sensing, optics, weapon integration, and battlefield data to deliver decisive advantage to the warfighter.

You will take ownership of a fielded product, guiding its evolution, scalability, and transition to full-rate production.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex hardware programs end-to-end.
• Proven ability to coordinate across mechanical, electrical, firmware and optics teams.
• Experience with ruggedized systems and defense-oriented programs.
• Strong technical fluency across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains.
• Experience owning a BOM, drawings, and change management in PLM tools.

Responsibilities

• Align roadmaps and schedules across multiple engineering teams.
• Coordinate with manufacturing, suppliers, and government stakeholders.
• Navigate architecture trade-offs for rugged targeting systems (LiDAR, optics, mounts).
• Drive transition from prototype to production with DFM/DFA and qualification testing.
• Identify and mitigate technical, schedule, supply chain and compliance risks.

Skills

Hardware development program mgmt

Cross-functional leadership

Ruggedized systems

Mechanical, electrical, firmware flu

PLM BOM management

Vendor management

Technical communication

Travel readiness

Tools

PLM tool

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 Connected Warfare Division is integrating advanced computing, AI-driven decision-making, and warfighter-centric technology into a single, cohesive ecosystem to revolutionize modern combat. We create joint, time-sensitive, multi-domain, connected mesh systems that connect every robot, human, and sensor across every domain-bringing together hundreds of thousands of endpoints globally.

Within Connected Warfare, our Warfighter Systems division is pioneering a future where mixed reality and advanced sensing create immersive, intuitive, and life-saving technologies. By integrating real-time data with cutting-edge visualization and targeting tools, we empower warfighters with unparalleled situational awareness, enhanced lethality, and operational superiority.

ABOUT THE JOB

We're seeking a Senior/Staff Technical Program Manager to drive the design, development, and production scaling of our Advanced Targeting System-a rugged, mission-critical product that fuses sensing, optics, weapon integration, and connected battlefield data to deliver decisive advantage to the warfighter. You'll take immediate ownership of a product already in the field, driving its evolution, scalability, and transition to full-rate production.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Program Management: Align roadmaps, manage timelines, and allocate resources across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and optics teams while balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary liaison between engineering, manufacturing, product, and external stakeholders-including defense contractors and government entities.
• Technical Leadership: Navigate the architecture and trade-offs of ruggedized targeting systems-LiDAR, weapon mounts, power, thermal, and embedded electronics-while ensuring compliance with ITAR, RMF, and other regulations.
• Production & Design Evolution: Drive the transition from prototype to production, owning the CAD-to-prototype-to-production cadence and championing DFM/DFA, qualification testing, and configuration/change management.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate technical, schedule, supply chain, and compliance risks, adjusting plans to maintain momentum.
• Stakeholder Management: Manage relationships with suppliers, customers, and government agencies; deliver clear program updates and technical briefs to internal and external audiences.
• Knowledge Capture & Process Improvement: Document tribal knowledge, close design gaps, and build repeatable processes that yield production-quality deliverables.
• Warfighter Engagement: Travel to exercises and live-fire assessments to gather operator feedback and translate it into program requirements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 6+ years managing complex hardware development programs across the full development lifecycle
• 8+ years combined experience as a TPM, Product Manager, Engineering Manager, or Engineer in commercial tech or aerospace & defense
• Hands-on experience leading ruggedized electromechanical systems-ideally targeting, sensing, optics, or weapon-integrated platforms
• Strong technical fluency across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains, with the ability to manage trade-offs across a complex system
• Experience owning a complex BOM, engineering drawings, and change management within a PLM tool
• Proven experience in component sourcing, vendor management, and DFM/DFA coordination with manufacturing partners
• Exceptional communication skills, able to translate technical complexity into business-impacting insights
• Willingness to travel up to 25%, including to field exercises and customer sites
• U.S. Person status required (export-controlled data)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Defense or ruggedized systems background (shock, vibration, environmental sealing)
• Experience with small arms components, weapon-mounted electronics, or fire control systems
• Familiarity with LiDAR, imaging (low-light/night vision), sensor fusion, or multi-modal sensing architectures
• Experience scaling hardware to medium- or high-volume production (100s of units or more)
• Comfort with formal change management and multiple product configurations
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, composites, i