Director, Emerging Talent & Programs
Anduril
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 JOB
We’re looking for a bold, strategic leader to reinvent how Anduril attracts and develops the next generation of talent. As Director of Talent Pipelines & Programs, you’ll have the mandate—and the runway—to build pathways that go far beyond traditional university recruiting.
Your focus will be on engineering internships, partnerships with universities and colleges, technical schools, and high school vocational programs that can supply the skills we need in engineering, manufacturing, and production. Over time, you’ll also shape long-term outreach strategies that may extend into other talent pools as part of a broader workforce development vision.
This is a high-visibility role with senior stakeholders and strong opinions, so the right leader will thrive under pressure, think creatively, and influence with confidence. If you want the autonomy to design bold programs and create pathways that truly shape the workforce of the future, this is the role for you.
This role will be based out of Costa Mesa, CA, Boston, MA, Seattle, WA or Columbus, OH.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Strategy & Program Design
- Own and reinvent current strategy for early and emerging talent to bring, fresh and non traditional ideas to the table.
- Build out innovative programs spanning internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, technical school pipelines, and high school vocational partnerships.
- Define and execute our talent pipeline strategy across engineering, manufacturing and other key functional areas of the business.
- Develop a phased approach to long-term pipeline building, with K–12 outreach as a future growth area.
- Integrate diversity, access, and workforce readiness into every program.
Partnerships & External Engagement
- Forge strong partnerships with colleges, universities, technical schools, and vocational programs.
- Expand our reach to high school-level technical and vocational tracks that align with workforce needs.
- Represent Anduril externally as a thought leader in workforce development and talent pipelines.
Execution & Measurement
- Scale existing engineering internship programs into high-impact, conversion-focused experiences.
- Design and deliver measurable outcomes for all programs, using data to demonstrate ROI and business impact.
- Continuously iterate and innovate based on results, market trends, and stakeholder input.
Leadership & Influence
- Partner with executives and senior leaders to align programs with workforce needs and long-term talent strategy.
- Operate with independence, making bold recommendations and driving consensus in a high-expectation, quant-focused culture.
- Lead, coach, and develop a small but high-performing team, building both individual careers and organizational capability.
WHO YOU ARE
- Skilled in building and scaling early career, emerging talent, or workforce development programs.
- Experienced in forging partnerships with universities, colleges, technical schools, and high school vocational programs.
- Strong people leader with a proven ability to develop teams and elevate performance.
- Data-driven operator who uses metrics to analyze effectiveness and communicate ROI.
- Adept at influencing executives and navigating environments with competing priorities.
- Comfortable balancing long-term strategy with hands-on execution in fast-paced, high-pressure settings.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of experience in Talent Acquisition, Workforce Development, or related fields.
- 5+ years leading early career, emerging talent, or technical workforce programs.
- 5+ years of people leadership experience, managing and developing high-performing teams.
- Demonstrated success building partnerships with universities, technical schools, and vocational programs.
- Proven track record of scaling programs in engineering, manufacturing, or production-heavy industries.
- Strong analytical skills; ability to design and manage metrics-driven programs.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.
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/.