Director, Manufacturing Engineering

Anduril

Anduril

Administration
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
USD 190k-285k / year + Equity
Posted on Jul 26, 2025

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

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Director of Manufacturing Engineering to lead and drive the strategic development, execution, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes across the organization. This leader will oversee engineering teams across diverse product lines, ensuring efficient production, scalability, and quality while supporting new product introductions, automation initiatives, and operational excellence. The role also emphasizes scaling production in a fast-paced environment, advancing digital manufacturing tools, and supporting the development of classified systems that meet stringent operational and security requirements.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As the Director of Manufacturing Engineering, your role encompasses the strategic oversight and tactical management of manufacturing engineering and systems to support both the development of new products and the scaling of high-volume production at Arsenal. You are charged with ensuring rigorous manufacturing processes are in place, resulting in the consistent delivery of superior quality products to our customers. Your leadership will also guarantee the fulfillment of manufacturing's capacity commitments while driving advancements in digital tools and methodologies to improve design, analysis, and execution. This role demands an innovative and adaptable approach to solving complex manufacturing challenges in a highly dynamic environment.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Strategic Leadership

    • Develop and implement a long-term manufacturing engineering strategy aligned with company goals.
    • Drive innovation in manufacturing processes, automation, and technology adoption to enhance efficiency and scalability for both development and high-volume production.
    • Define KPIs, measure performance, and ensure alignment with operational and business objectives.
    • Architect the requirements and roadmaps for next-generation digital manufacturing tools to improve manufacturing design, analysis, and production efficiency.
    • Build systems and processes to support the manufacturing design and production of classified products in compliance with security and regulatory requirements.

    Operational Excellence

    • Oversee the optimization of manufacturing methods, tooling, and processes to improve quality, reduce costs, and increase throughput.
    • Lead initiatives in lean manufacturing to reduce waste and improve production attainment and efficiency.
    • Develop scalable processes to support rapid growth and adapt to a highly dynamic production environment.
    • Ensure all manufacturing practices meet safety, quality, and regulatory compliance standards, including classified product handling.
    • Manage manufacturing plans across the product portfolio to adapt to fluctuations in capacity and demand, ensuring seamless production continuity and resource optimization.

    Team Development

    • Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers and technical staff.
    • Foster cross-functional collaboration across Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Development teams.
    • Promote a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

    New Product Introduction (NPI)

    • Partner with R&D and product development teams to ensure seamless transition of new products from design to production.
    • Drive Design for Manufacturability (DfM) and Design for Assembly (DfA) principles during product development, ensuring smooth scaling into production.
    • Develop capacity plans and provide oversight for factory scoping, setup, and ramp-up to support production scaling and operational readiness.

    Resource Planning

    • Manage budgets, resources, and staffing for the manufacturing engineering department.
    • Forecast future operational and headcount needs to support scaling efforts for high-growth production environments.
    • Plan for rapid response to large-scale program demands, including classified systems, with short ramp-up times.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Electrical Engineering (or related field).
  • 10+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, with 5+ years in a leadership role.
  • Proven track record of scaling manufacturing operations in highly dynamic and fast-paced environments.
  • Expertise in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and process optimization.
  • Strong knowledge of automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
  • Experience in developing, implementing, and utilizing digital manufacturing tools for design and analysis.
  • Familiarity with manufacturing processes for classified systems, including security and compliance considerations.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.
  • Experience in managing New Product Introduction (NPI) and scaling production for high-growth environments.
  • Familiar with Product Life Cycle (PLM) systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Test Execution Systems (TES).
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.
US Salary Range
$190,000$285,000 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 comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.
    • 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/.