Associate Technical Director of Test & Evaluation, Mission Autonomy

Anduril

Anduril

IT
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Posted on Sep 21, 2024

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.

Do you want to be a leader on Anduril's Test & Evaluation team to determine how we test autonomous software systems for our jet and missiles portfolio? This is the opportunity for you.

Air Dominance and Strike is one of Anduril's fastest growing divisions whose goal is to reshape the way peer to peer conflicts are fought. This division is responsible for the development, delivery, and sustained operations of Anduril's autonomy software that runs onboard robotic air vehicles and enables collaborative mission execution.

We are seeking an Associate Technical Director of Test and Evaluation Engineering that will be responsible for shaping how we test our Mission Autonomy software within Air Dominance and Strike. The ideal candidate has proven experience leading complex autonomous vehicle software system development test. This candidate will work heavily with the program leadership and a wide spectrum of cross-departments focused on solving hard problems and changing the industry forever.

The Test and Evaluation team at Anduril is integral to our mission, ensuring that every product meets the highest standards of performance and reliability. Our team specializes in a broad spectrum of testing activities, including developmental testing using surrogate vehicles. We are at the forefront of testing approaches, particularly in the domain of mission autonomy systems. As we expand, we're seeking a methodical engineer who is prepared to tackle the challenges of mission autonomy testing and contribute to the iterative development and refinement of our autonomous systems, including Fury, Anduril's Group 5 UAS. If you are interested in working in an extremely innovative and fast paced environment, where your work directly makes an impact and difference in the products that are fielded this a fantastic opportunity.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

  • Engage with customer on Anduril’s test and evaluations approaches, while establishing and implementing process to deliver software downrange as real-time as possible
  • Prove out software and mission autonomy infrastructure, taking software test environments from months to weeks
  • Think outside the box - define development, test and verification strategies that align with Anduril principles, working closely with Anduril’s leadership team to shape, capture and expand Anduril’s operation
  • Develop requirements, communicate test campaign schedule and progress, establish test campaign gates and milestones, and discuss test results to include collected data and observations
  • Work with the lead test engineer(s) for mission autonomy (software and hardware) for development, certification and integration tests of the systems and subsystems
  • Collaborate with compliance and certification teams (internal and external) to allow seamless test execution for test strategies aligned with leadership
  • Engage with engineering and test team to rapidly iterate and develop mission autonomy software in a collaborative environment
  • In order to be successful at Anduril, our engineering leaders need to be fluent in problem analysis, systems design, and rapid development
  • Directly support the Growth and Proposal team during contract shaping, capture, and expansion
  • Direct all engineering activities to include team building, execution, process, and technical oversight strategies and test and evaluation creative solutions to achieve program objectives


REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Strong technical program management background with previous experience leading teams
  • Operational background that has worked in the Commercial space
  • A bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
  • 10+ years of experience as a technical lead working with software systems validation and mission autonomy
  • Experience with systems engineering, Department of Defense (DoD) program processes (EVM, MIL-STD-881 etc.), and systems used within programs that deliver software to vehicles
  • Previous experience with and/or current working knowledge of DoD Software Modernization Strategy, and standards associated with the Software Development Lifecycle and Quality Assurance processes (e.g. ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, 29119, 27001, etc.)
  • Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly; apply them accurately; organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases; and, determine the appropriate approach at the task level or, with assistance, at the project level to provide solutions to a range of complex problems.
  • Must have a complete understanding of engineering concepts, principles, codes, and theory; experience demonstrating a broad application of those concepts; and, expanding knowledge of principles, concepts, theory, and practices in related technical specialties.
  • Previous expertise and working knowledge of the National Airspace System and UAS operating rules and regulations thereof.
  • Strong computer and documentation experience.
  • Must have strong communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team; able to perform complex tasks in one or more engineering areas.
  • Ability to travel and work extended hours as required
  • Bias for action – if you see a problem, you want to solve and fix it
  • Must be unsatisfied with the long-term implementations of solutions
  • Ability to immediately obtain a U.S. Top Secret-Level security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • A Master’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
  • Prior experience with software code/script building using programming languages such as Go, Java, C++, Python, JavaScript, etc.
  • Prior experience with Linux based systems and command line.
  • Working knowledge with UAS autopilot and mission planning software
  • Experience working with manned aircraft personnel and familiar with aviation terminology
  • DoD Operational Test experience or equivalent
US Salary Range
$170,000$215,000 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:

  • Platinum Healthcare Benefits: For U.S. roles, we offer top tier platinum coverage (medical, dental, vision) that are 100% covered by Anduril for you and 90% covered for your dependents.
    • For UK roles, Private Medical Insurance (PMI): Anduril will cover the full cost of the insurance premium for an employee and dependents.
    • For AUS roles, Private health plan through Bupa: Coverage is fully subsidized by Anduril.
  • Basic Life/AD&D and long-term disability insurance 100% covered by Anduril, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
  • Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a holiday hiatus in December, and highly competitive PTO plans.
  • 16 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave to care for a family member, bond with your baby, or tend to your own medical condition.
  • Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility (eg, IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits and resources to provide support from planning to parenting.
  • Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy, life coaching, and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, available to you as well.
  • A professional development stipend is available to all Andurilians.
  • Daily Meals and Provisions: For many of our offices this means breakfast, lunch and fully stocked micro-kitchens.
  • Company-funded commuter benefits available based on your region.
  • Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility).
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan - both a traditional and Roth 401(k). (US roles only)

The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process.

Anduril is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The Anduril team is made up of incredibly talented and unique individuals, who together are disrupting industry norms by creating new paths towards the future of defense technology. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process. If you are someone passionate about working on problems that have a real-world impact, we'd love to hear from you!

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.