Test Program Manager, Autonomous Airpower

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Top-tier benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking a Test Program Manager for the Air Dominance & Strike division to lead hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, and flight tests. You will own test programs end-to-end, coordinating with engineering, government customers, and partners to deliver on-time, on-budget solutions.

The role requires a deep systems engineering mindset, strong execution discipline, and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field (flight test background preferred)
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities with the ability to move between tactical and 30,000 ft level
• Experience coordinating multiple internal and external teams within a complex engineering or technology-focused organization
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Responsibilities

• Own development, test and evaluation of Anduril’s Air Dominance & Strike technologies to meet DoD needs
• Develop collaborative relationships with DoD customers and enable rapid iteration and fielding
• Own delivery of outcomes on multiple programs simultaneously
• Monitor cost, schedule, and resource allocation with data-driven tradeoffs
• Implement lightweight processes, tools, and metrics for planning, scope, and risk management
• Bridge program baselines with technical execution in partnership with engineering
• Foster a high-performance team culture and identify recruitment opportunities
• Collaborate on pricing strategies for proposals and on strategic RD investments

Skills

Program management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Cross-functional coordination

Analytical problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

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.

Test Program Manager, Air Dominance & Strike, Autonomous Airpower

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 Air Dominance and Strike Division is one of Anduril’s fastest growing, most technically complex divisions. We develop and build collaborative combat aircraft, missiles, and the software that powers these autonomous weapons. We are looking for a Test Program Manager for the FQ-44 Fury program. As Test Program Manager, you will lead the test and evaluation team alongside the Lead Test Engineer to conduct hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, system, and subsystem tests in labs, ground test and flight test to characterize and evaluate system performance, validate systems design, inform future development, and provide reports to inform operational assessments. You will be directly responsible for all elements of cost and schedule to ensure successful delivery of the test program.

ABOUT THE JOB

Success in this position hinges on three key facets:

1. Systems and engineering mindset - the ability to understand and assess technical concept. Identifying system dependencies, interfaces, technical risks and the impact of key architectural decisions with the engineering team.
2. Execution focused - digging into the details, charting the path and owning the outcome. You will be expected to utilize your technical aptitude in conjunction with your program management, and leadership skills to deliver the best outcome for Anduril and the customer.
3. Collaborative partnership - managing customer relationships and shaping the future of the program with the government.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• In partnership with the Lead Test Engineer, own the development, test and evaluation of Anduril’s Air Dominance & Strike technologies to meet the operational needs of the Department of Defense
• Develop strong, trusting, collaborative relationships with Anduril’s DOD customers, ensuring we have tight feedback loops that enable us shape solutions, rapidly iterate, and ultimately field solutions faster
• Autonomously execute on broad and/or ambiguous requirements from internal engineering, customers, and third party corporate partners to own successful delivery of outcomes on multiple programs simultaneously
• Monitor and manage program progress across cost, schedule, and resource allocation, making tradeoffs that enable us to deliver best-in-class solutions to our customers on-time and on-budget
• Develop and implement lightweight processes, tools, and metrics for program planning, scope management, risk management, and customer communication to enable Anduril to move rapidly
• Exercise extreme ownership over program baselines and execution, seamlessly bridging programmatic goals with technical execution as an indispensable partner to engineering
• Foster a creative, high-performance culture within the team, and proactively assess team skills versus needs, identifying personnel development or recruitment opportunities to strengthen the team’s capabilities
• Collaborate with finance and business development teams to develop novel pricing strategies for proposals that set Anduril up for long term financial and operational success
• Collaborate with senior management to develop and refine the strategic roadmap for Anduril Air Dominance & Strike R&D investments that underpin the success of our programs

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field (flight test background preferred)
• Minimum of 10 years experience managing the development of complex technical systems throughout the product lifecycle
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex, multi-million-dollar projects and driving their on-time, on-budget completion
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities with the ability to move seamlessly between tactical and the 30,000 ft level
• Experience coordinating multiple internal and external teams within a complex engineering or technology-focused organization
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance

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.