Manufacturing Engineer, Autonomous Airpower

About the Role

Anduril Industries is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join the Autonomous Airpower manufacturing team in Costa Mesa, California. This is a hands-on role for someone with a few years of manufacturing experience who is ready to take on more responsibility. You will support the manufacturing value chain for autonomous aircraft hardware, helping build the processes, documentation, and production capabilities that take hardware from design to the factory floor. This role spans the full breadth of manufacturing engineering disciplines and may focus on one or more of the following areas depending on your background: structures and composites, mechanical systems (landing gear, doors, actuators), fluid systems (hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic), propulsion integration, avionics, or harnessing and electrical integration.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the manufacturing value chain for assigned aircraft subsystems or assemblies — contributing to process development, work instruction authoring, and production support
• Independently modify and enhance manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and quality metrics on the production line
• Author and maintain work instructions, quality plans, and inspection documentation with guidance from senior MEs
• Analyze production data to identify trends and recommend data-driven process adjustments that reduce cycle times and increase throughput
• Provide DFM/DFA input to design engineering — learning to identify manufacturability issues early and communicate them effectively
• Support production builds on the floor — troubleshooting issues with technicians, documenting lessons learned, and iterating on processes
• Develop and document standardized procedures that enhance manufacturing consistency and quality across build sequences
• Assist with tooling definition and work with tooling engineers to validate fixtures and jigs for production use
• Participate in root cause analysis for manufacturing non-conformances and help drive corrective actions
• Support manufacturing BOM development and maintain accurate production documentation in PLM/ERP systems

Requirements & Tech Stack

• 2+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware production environments
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Electrical or Industrial Engineering or equivalent hands-on manufacturing experience
• Foundational understanding of manufacturing processes — machining, assembly, composites, or electrical integration
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and CAD models
• Experience analyzing production data and recommending process improvements
• Willingness to work hands-on in a production environment alongside technicians
• Strong communication skills — able to document processes clearly and work across engineering and production teams
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience supporting production or prototype builds on a factory floor in aerospace or defense
• Exposure to one or more of the following: composite structures, mechanical systems, fluid systems, propulsion, avionics integration, or wire harness manufacturing
• Experience with CAD tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, or equivalent)
• Experience with aircraft, UAV, or autonomous vehicle assembly
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing concepts or structured problem-solving methods
• Familiarity with PLM/ERP systems (Teamcenter, SAP, Oracle, or similar)
• Active U.S. Secret security clearance

Note: Per Anduril's expansion plans, this job will be based out of Long Beach, CA beginning late 2027.

US Salary Range: $99,000—$130,000 USD