Director of Engineering, Rocket Motor Systems

Director of Engineering, Rocket Motor Systems

McHenry, Mississippi, 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.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Anduril Rocket Motor Systems (RMS) team is on a mission to build next generation solid rocket motors for a safer, more connected world. To achieve our vision of becoming a large-volume provider of tactical rocket motors, we will develop differentiated products and services that maximize our customers’ capabilities, and we will establish and maintain a reputation of Quality and Reliability.

ABOUT THE JOB

As the Director of Engineering, your role is to provide strategic oversight and tactical management for our engineering teams. In this critical leadership position, you will be responsible for developing new rocket motor products and enabling the scaling of high-volume rocket motor production. You will ensure rigorous engineering development processes are in place, driving the consistent delivery of superior quality products. This role guarantees the fulfillment of manufacturing's capacity commitments while advancing digital tools and methodologies to improve design, analysis, and execution. Success in this role requires an innovative and adaptable approach to solving complex design and manufacturing challenges in a highly dynamic environment.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own the tactical execution of product development work, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality engineering products.
• Cultivate a proactive, responsive team culture emphasizing ownership, quality, and appropriate engineering rigor (balancing speed with precision).
• Set clear goals, objectives, and performance expectations for teams and individuals; conduct regular performance reviews and provide constructive feedback.
• Manage and prioritize team resource allocation to effectively support multiple product development programs, balancing competing priorities.
• Recruit, hire, and retain top-tier engineering talent, providing coaching, mentorship, and career development opportunities.
• Ensure alignment between product and technical roadmaps and overall business objectives.
• Establish and champion a Design Engineering Center of Excellence, driving the creation, documentation, and adoption of engineering best practices and processes across functional areas.
• Identify and advocate for new tools, technologies, and capabilities (e.g., advanced simulation software, novel test equipment, material characterization techniques) to support future product design needs.
• Establish and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure team effectiveness, responsiveness, and the impact of process improvements.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for technical roadblocks, resource conflicts, and complex interdisciplinary challenges.
• Be ultimately accountable for the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of all team deliverables, including design and analysis reports, test plans, material specifications, and technical recommendations.
• Ensure critical knowledge is captured and institutionalized by overseeing the documentation of design, analysis, test results, and material data to shorten future design cycles.
• Collaborate with the Director of Chief Engineering to communicate portfolio strategy, major product milestones, accomplishments, and significant risks to executive leadership.
• Build and maintain strong strategic partnerships with senior leaders in Program/Technical Program Management, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain for smooth, end-to-end product delivery.
• Proactively communicate the portfolio's execution status, resource constraints, and key successes to all stakeholders, ensuring alignment on priorities and deliverables.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Electrical Engineering (or related technical field).
• Proven experience (typically 8+ years) in engineering leadership and management roles, with a focus on end-to-end technical delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and scaling complex hardware products, specifically rocket motors or similar high-volume, high-precision systems.
• Strong background in establishing and optimizing rigorous engineering development processes, quality assurance, configuration management, and V&V strategies.
• Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of building, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing engineering teams.
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and project management, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with an innovative and adaptable approach to complex problem-solving.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with solid rocket motors.

US Salary Range

$219,000 - $290,000 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:

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 .