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Director of Manufacturing Engineering, EW

Anduril· Manufacturing : EW Manufacturing Engineering : Manufacturing Engineering
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Irvine, CA$220k - $292kFull-timePosted 6d ago

About the role

Director-level leadership role overseeing manufacturing engineering for Anduril's Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) hardware, responsible for strategy, scaling production, and ensuring rigorous manufacturing processes to deliver high-quality defense hardware.

Responsibilities

  • Build & Lead the Manufacturing Engineering Team: Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers with deep product knowledge in mechanical, electrical, system integration, and environmental testing. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across the organization.
  • Drive Manufacturing Strategy & Technology: Develop and implement a long-term manufacturing engineering strategy aligned with Anduril EW's growth objectives. Drive adoption of automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, and digital manufacturing tools to enhance efficiency and scalability across development and high-volume production.
  • Lead New Product Introduction (NPI): Partner with Design Engineering teams in early to late phases of the development process to ensure seamless transition of new products from design to production. Champion Design for Manufacturability (DfM), Design for Assembly (DfA), and broader DFx principles to de-risk production scaling.
  • Scale Production Capability: Evaluate, plan, and prioritize supply chain, production, and test optimizations to ensure the value stream can reliably meet production output goals. Develop process flows that break down large, complex electromechanical assemblies into logical subassemblies and sub-processes. Build business cases for vertical integration or supplier diversification where strategic partnerships will accelerate scalability.
  • Drive Continuous Improvement & Quality: Lead initiatives to improve yield, reduce cycle time, and lower cost across the manufacturing value chain. Drive operational excellence through Kaizen events, RCCA burndowns, component and supplier rationalization, and process standardization. Be a strong partner with Product Quality Engineering to tackle key issues both internally and externally to EW Production.
  • Own the Manufacturing Value Chain: Take holistic ownership of the manufacturing value chain for EW products, including tool design and selection, vendor sourcing and interaction, quality planning, and work documentation. Contribute to end-customer hardware mechanical or electrical design, including interconnects, board fabrication, and inspection.
  • Resource & Budget Management: Manage budgets, staffing, and capital equipment planning for the manufacturing engineering organization. Forecast headcount and operational needs to support rapid scaling, including classified production environments.
  • Define Cross-Functional Workflows: Establish effective collaboration frameworks across Design Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Production teams. Set objectives, build cross-functional teams, and drive rapid project execution.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field; Master's degree or MBA preferred.
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering and operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing manufacturing engineering teams.
  • Demonstrated experience owning manufacturing value chains for complex electromechanical hardware — defense, aerospace, or adjacent industries strongly preferred.
  • Strong background in make-vs-buy analysis, contract manufacturer management, and supplier development for precision hardware.
  • Experience managing NPI and scaling production in high-growth environments with condensed timelines.
  • Demonstrated ability to creatively deliver electromechanical hardware in a resource-constrained environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to bring up assembly operations for electromechanical assemblies, including PCBA, harness, and RF hardware.
  • Knowledge of automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, and digital manufacturing tools.
  • Proficient with ERP, CAD, PLM, and FRACAS software. Familiarity with quality systems (ISO 9001/AS9100) and MES systems.
  • Hands-on experience physically manufacturing hardware (assembly, soldering, machining, fabrication, etc.).
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Skills

Required:Manufacturing leadershipDesign for Manufacturability (DfM)NPI managementAutomation & advanced manufacturing technologiesSupply chain optimizationCapital planning & budgetingDFx (DFM/DFx)

Benefits

  • Top-tier benefits for full-time employees
  • Comprehensive, competitive benefits package available at little to no cost to employees
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Anduril

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