Support System Lead

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

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Health benefits

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Anduril Industries is seeking a Support Systems Engineering Lead to join the Thunder team in Costa Mesa. You will architect and lead a broad Support System, hire and mentor a hands-on engineering team, and work with stakeholders to ensure operational needs are understood on a novel Group 5 tiltrotor platform.

You will decompose tasks to shape Air Vehicle and Mission Systems, design and test GSE for rapid deployment, and define interfaces for fueling and charging while leveraging new tech to

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree or higher in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or aviation related discipline.
• 10+ years in Aviation/Aerospace or product development/design environments including technology maturation.
• Familiarity with Systems Engineering approach and its benefits/limitations.
• Experience in operational environments with logistics, maintenance, or training roles.
• Commitment to design and operation for maximum safety; strong ownership in fast-paced settings.
• Ability to decompose complex problems into actionable tasks; security clearance eligible.

Responsibilities

• Architect, plan, and lead the design and development of a broad Support System including deployment and maintenance.
• Hire, develop, and grow a hands-on Engineering team focused on practical Support System solutions.
• Collaborate with customer stakeholders to ensure operational needs are understood.
• Own Life‑of‑system decomposition to influence design of Air Vehicle and Mission Systems.
• Design, fabricate and test Mission System transport and handling equipment for rapid deployment.
• Identify interfaces for supply systems (fueling/charging) as inputs to design.
• Leverage new technologies to develop maintenance systems and training approaches.

Skills

Systems Engineering

Leadership

Aerospace experience

High voltage systems

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

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.

Job Description

Anduril is seeking a Support Systems Engineering Lead to join the Thunder team at our Costa Mesa HQ. Thunder is Anduril’s hover‑to‑cruise autonomous air vehicle (AAV) that combines vertical takeoff and landing with the range, speed, and heavy strike power of advanced attack platforms in a novel Group 5 tiltrotor airframe. Powered by a hybrid‑electric powertrain and Lattice for Mission Autonomy, Thunder operates as a loyal wingman alongside crewed platforms like the AH‑64 Apache in highly contested environments. You will work on new aircraft development, bringing pragmatic Support Systems thinking to complement and enhance the overall capability, ensuring that end‑user needs are met in challenging operational environments. You will be part of a lean, high‑ownership culture where you directly shape the product and operate at a velocity to fly new designs within months, not years.

What You’ll Do

• Architect, plan, and lead the design and development of a broad Support System (including deployment, supply, operations and maintenance; and everything in between)
• Hire, develop, and grow a hands‑on Engineering team focused on practical Support System solutions
• Collaborate with customer stakeholders on a comprehensive concept of employment to ensure operational needs are understood
• Own ‘Day In The Life Of’ decomposition activities to influence functional decomposition shaping the design of the Air Vehicle and Mission Systems
• Design, fabricate and test Mission System transport and handling equipment (GSE) to enable rapid deployment in a range of challenging operational environments
• Identify appropriate standards and associated interfaces for supply systems (such as fueling and charging) as inputs to design
• Leverage emerging technologies to develop maintenance systems, operational processes, and training approaches that set new standards for what good looks like
• Collaborate with peers across the Division to drive a consistent approach and ‘look and feel’ of a Common Support System across the Product ecosystem enhancing customer experience and familiarity

Required Qualifications And Attributes

• Bachelor degree or higher in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or aviation related technical discipline
• 10+ years of experience in Aviation, Aerospace or product development/design environments including technology maturation
• Familiarity in applying Systems Engineering, and first‑hand understanding of benefits and limitations of the approach
• Experience working in operational environments performing logistics, maintenance, or training roles including familiarity with supporting fielded systems in the control of customers.
• Be focused on both design and operation for maximum safety
• Strong bias for action and extremely high ownership in fast paced environment
• Ability to break complex problems into achievable challenges for consumption by the team
• Experience with high voltage systems/batteries and/or hybrid powertrains
• Trade or Mechanic qualifications considered advantageous
• Defense Industry or Military Service background highly desirable
• A sincere commitment to a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance in United States, United Kingdom, or Australia

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: 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.

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.