Air Vehicle Lead

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 TEAMWe are looking for an Air Vehicle Lead to join our rapidly growing Air Dominance and Strike team in Costa Mesa, CA. In this role, you will be responsible for the mechanical development of new autonomous missile systems. This will require strong understanding and experience developing advanced air vehicles from concept to delivery. If you are someone who thrives in a fast moving environment and you have experience driving design solutions then this role is for you.WHAT YOU'LL DOLead the mechanical development of new autonomous air vehicles, from initial system layout and conceptual design through detail design, fabrication, and flight testDerive and shape requirements both internally and externallyDrive system architecture and design solutions in order to meet performance, rate, and cost requirementsHands-on development of aircraft, airframe, and subsystem detailed design, analysis, fabrication, and assemblyLead design reviews, present to customers, visit vendors, help define and execute test plansBuild prototypes, analyze failures, and transition successful projects into productionTravel to test sites and support customer discussions as neededProvide individual contributions in addition to technical leadership and oversight for a team of 10 to 25 multidisciplinary engineersREQUIRED QUALIFICATIONSBS in aerospace, mechanical engineering, or related field8+ years of aerospace experience in a professional settingWorking knowledge of MIL standards and industry best practicesStrong understanding and experience developing air vehicle conceptual designs and transitioning them to flying and deployable systemsFamiliarity with key aircraft subsystems and their development methods, including aero-performance, stability and control, structures, mechanisms, avionics, propulsion, fuel systems, thermodynamics, electrical integration, etc.Experience creating, organizing, and managing complex vehicle development designs in CADExperience developing and using aircraft sizing toolsExperience with prototype and production airframe manufacturing methods including composites and metallicsDemonstrate leadership skills to manage scope and schedules, deconflict issues, communicate up and down the chain, maximize teamwork and collaboration in a dynamic environment.Must possess and be able to maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearancePREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSMS in aerospace, mechanical engineering or related fieldWorking knowledge of NX/TeamcenterExperience with air launched expendable systemsExperience with air breathing high sub-sonic or super sonic expendable systemsExperience with liquid or solid rocket motors on expendable systemsHands on manufacturing or fabrication experienceFamiliarity with low observable design principlesExperience with surfacing and OML loft modelingCompetency in engineering analysis, including aerodynamics, structural, thermal, and electricalUS Salary Range$175,000—$205,000 USDThe 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: BenefitsAt 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.Protecting Yourself from Recruitment ScamsAnduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.Please always verify communications:Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to View email address on click.appcast.io. Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to View email address on click.appcast.io. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.Data PrivacyTo view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit . 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.