← All roles

Director of Advanced Design

Anduril· Air Dominance & Strike : Air Dominance & Strike Hardware : Air Vehicle Configuration
Apply on company site
Costa Mesa, CA$254k - $336kFull-timePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Direct the end-to-end conceptual design for Group 5 UAS and advanced missile platforms, shaping early-phase pursuits and ensuring alignment with technical feasibility, affordability, and customer mission needs.

Responsibilities

  • Direct the end-to-end conceptual design process for UAV and missile platforms, including mission analysis, configuration trade studies, requirements development, and architecture selection.
  • Serve as a technical expert for early-phase pursuits, shaping concept white-papers, customer proposals, and technology roadmaps, partnering with the chief engineering team.
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with technical feasibility, affordability, and customer mission needs.
  • Support direct interactions with customers to translate mission requirements into design concepts.
  • Act as a senior technical decision-maker, applying engineering intuition and prior experience to ensure effective design paths and avoid costly development missteps.
  • Partner with Chief Engineers and product teams to align engineering execution with broader mission and capability goals.
  • Stay at the forefront of emerging aerospace technologies and threats, incorporating disruptive innovations into early-stage designs.

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in conceptual or preliminary design of aerospace systems, with technical leadership roles on Group 5 UAS, similar class aircraft, or advanced missile systems.
  • Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the core aerospace hardware disciplines: aerodynamics, structures, propulsion integration, or electrical systems.
  • Deep understanding of system architecture, mission requirements, and full product lifecycle development.
  • Proven experience leading high-performance engineering teams, ideally in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
  • Strong communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills

Skills

Required:Aerospace conceptual designSystem architectureTechnologies in core aerospace disciplinesTechnical leadership

Benefits

  • Top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including health, recovery, and other coverage (details available via Benefits page)
Last updated Sep 9, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Anduril

defense-aero-and-safetyliquid-ai-recruiting-targetsetter-30setter-30-2026-q1wing-list-2026wing-list-2026-giga-stage
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at Anduril