Liaison Engineer

Liaison Engineer

Victorville, California, United States

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.

Are you a hands-on engineer who thrives in the dynamic environment of a flight line rather than behind a cubicle wall? Do you enjoy real-time problem-solving and seeing the immediate impact of your decisions? We are seeking a Liaison Engineer to support the Fury program, our cutting-edge autonomous aircraft. Based at the Victorville Test Site, you will serve as the on-site technical bridge between flight test operations, maintenance personnel, and design engineering. Your primary mission is to provide rapid, hands-on engineering resolution to unexpected technical issues, defects, or non-conformances that arise during ground and flight testing — keeping aircraft airworthy and on schedule without compromising safety or configuration integrity.

On-Site Engineering Support

• Serve as the primary engineering point of contact for the maintenance crew during ground and flight test operations.
• Interpret blueprints, 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, and technical manuals to resolve discrepancies in real time.

Nonconformance & MRB Disposition

• Evaluate defects and nonconformances found during inspection, maintenance, or test; issue engineering dispositions (use-as-is, repair, rework) within delegated authority.
• Participate in Material Review Board (MRB) discussions, assess structural/systems integrity impact, and drive the safest path to return-to-service.
• Support root cause and corrective action (RCCA) investigations for recurring or high-impact nonconformances, feeding findings back to design engineering to prevent repeat occurrences.

Flight Line Modification & Repair Authority

• Create, authorize, and oversee redline drawing changes or field modifications needed to install test instrumentation or correct design errors in real time.
• Draft clear, step-by-step technical repair instructions, including minor structural/electrical analysis, for mechanics to execute — escalating to Design Engineering/Stress when a fix exceeds delegated authority or affects form/fit/function.
• Take ownership of hardware availability for active repairs; drive demand signals to supply chain to prevent schedule slip.

Airworthiness & Compliance

• Ensure all temporary repairs, modifications, and deviations comply with FAA regulations (including experimental airworthiness requirements), company engineering standards, and quality system requirements.
• Operate within, and help mature, the program's quality management system (e.g., AS9100-aligned processes) as it applies to liaison dispositions.

Configuration Management

• Document every temporary redline, repair, and non-conformance so the aircraft's as-built configuration is accurately tracked, recorded, and updated across its lifetime in the program's PLM/MES/ERP systems.
• Maintain traceability from disposition through installed hardware to support future maintenance, safety investigations, and fleet-wide trend analysis.

Cross-Functional Interface

• Facilitate two-way communication between flight line mechanics and remote design engineering teams, ensuring design engineers understand real-world hangar-floor constraints and mechanics understand design intent.
• Flag systemic issues (recurring failure modes, tooling gaps, tech data errors) to program leadership and design engineering with data to support prioritization.

A Day in the Life

• Hangar & Flight Line Walkthroughs: Start the day on the floor — physically inspecting aircraft, examining damaged components, and discussing flight-prep issues directly with technicians.
• MRB Collaboration: Participate in MRB to evaluate defects, assess structural/systems integrity, and determine the safest path forward.
• Authoring Repairs: Draft clear repair instructions and minor structural/electrical analyses for mechanics to execute.
• Configuration Tracking: Document redlines, repairs, and non-conformances so the aircraft's as-built configuration stays accurate throughout its life.
• Closing the Loop: Feed field findings back into design engineering and, where patterns emerge, into RCCA and tech data corrections — so the same issue doesn't recur across the fleet.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Experience: 3+ years in aviation maintenance support, flight test support, or liaison/MRB engineering.
• Technical Skills:
• Ability to read, interpret, and redline complex engineering drawings, blueprints, and electrical schematics; working knowledge of GD&T.
• Familiarity with aircraft structures (composite and/or metallic) and systems (mechanical, electrical, or avionics).
• Experience using 3D CAD software (e.g., CATIA, NX, SolidWorks) to view and query models.
• Experience with PLM, ERP, and/or MES systems for configuration and nonconformance tracking.
• Soft Skills: Strong interpersonal and communication skills — able to work effectively with design engineers, shop-floor technicians, and leadership simultaneously.
• Mindset: Bias for action, sound judgment under pressure and ambiguity, and genuine enjoyment of hands-on troubleshooting. Able to juggle multiple concurrent issues without losing track of any of them.
• Clearance: U.S. Citizenship required; must be eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior Material Review Board (MRB) delegation/authority.
• Experience supporting UAS / autonomous aircraft programs.
• Familiarity with flight test operations, test instrumentation/data acquisition, and flight line safety protocols.
• Working knowledge of FAA regulations and experimental airworthiness certification.
• Experience performing or reviewing minor structural repair analysis (stress/margin checks) for engineering dispositions.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• 100% on-site at the Victorville Test Site.
• Comfortable working in a hangar environment and on active flight lines (noise, heat, high-desert weather exposure).
• Willing to support a dynamic schedule, including shifted hours or on-call coverage around test windows.
• Physically able to climb on, around, and inside aircraft to inspect components; comfortable working at height and in confined spaces with appropriate PPE.

US Salary Range

$99,000 - $130,000 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: