Manager, Manufacturing Engineering - Autonomous Airpower

ABOUT THE ROLE

As the Manufacturing Engineering Manager for a new Autonomous Airpower aircraft program, you will build and lead the manufacturing engineering team from the ground up — from early prototyping through transition to full-rate production. This is a working-manager role: especially in the early phase of the program, you'll be deeply hands-on, driving technical program decisions, authoring processes, and making DFM calls alongside the team you're building. As the program and team scale, your focus will shift toward strategic planning, cross-functional leadership, and growing the next generation of manufacturing engineers.

This role is based in Costa Mesa, California, with a planned move to Anduril's Long Beach office when it opens. You will work closely with the Autonomous Airpower chief engineers, program management, growth, supply chain, and the broader AD&S Manufacturing Engineering organization to make sure what Design engineers create can be built reliably, repeatedly, and at scale.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Build and lead the manufacturing engineering team for a new Autonomous Airpower aircraft program — hiring, structuring the team, setting goals, providing technical direction, and evaluating performance.
• Act as a working manager — stay close to the engineering work, make technical program decisions, and own key manufacturing engineering deliverables yourself, especially during the early phase of the program when the team is lean.
• Develop and execute strategic plans for production capabilities, incorporating new technologies, methodologies, and automation across the aircraft's manufacturing lifecycle.
• Partner with chief engineers and design engineering during all phases of development — from concept trades and DFM input through design reviews, prototype and first-article builds, LRIP, and transition to full-rate production.
• Own documentation required to successfully manufacture aircraft hardware at scale, including work instructions, inspection plans and requirements, MBOMs, and process documentation.
• Drive production readiness activities — process capability assessments, tooling readiness, MBOM maturity, and rate-readiness planning.
• Lead the selection, installation, and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment, tooling, and processes, ensuring optimal integration into the production line.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that result in cost reduction, quality enhancement, and throughput maximization across the program.
• Manage budgets and forecast future manufacturing needs across personnel, equipment, tooling, and materials.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams — program management, supply chain, operations, quality, and leadership — to drive production readiness and successful program execution.
• Serve as the technical expert and point of contact for manufacturing engineering issues on the program, providing guidance and support to resolve complex problems.
• Analyze production metrics and performance data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Interface with external customers in communicating the manufacturing strategy and plans for building the aircraft from development to full-rate production.
• Foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the manufacturing engineering organization.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, quality, and regulatory requirements within the manufacturing process.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering.
• Minimum 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware production environments, with at least 3 years in a managerial or technical lead role.
• Demonstrated experience developing products from scratch and scaling to production — ideally on aircraft or complex aerospace vehicle programs.
• Proven track record of cradle-to-grave ownership — from design input through process development, work instruction authoring, tooling definition, and production support.
• Experience hiring, developing, and leading manufacturing engineering teams.
• Experience driving process improvements and production readiness in a manufacturing setting.
• Strong DFM/DFA instincts — demonstrated ability to influence design decisions for manufacturability.
• Excellent project management skills and experience leading cross-functional projects.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Comfort as a working manager — willing and able to stay hands-on in the technical work, not just managing from a distance.
• Technical expertise in manufacturing systems (MES, ERP, PLM).
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience on aircraft programs — fixed-wing, UAV, or autonomous air vehicles — from development through LRIP or full-rate production.
• Previous experience designing, building out, and commissioning factories or new production lines (greenfield or brownfield).
• Experience across multiple manufacturing engineering disciplines: structures and composites, mechanical systems, fluid systems (hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic), propulsion integration, avionics, or wire harness manufacturing.
• Knowledge of low-observable (LO) coating, energetics, mission systems, or propulsion manufacturing.
• Experience transitioning hardware from prototype through first-article to full-rate production.
• Knowledge of AS9100, aerospace quality systems, and non-conformance management processes.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or structured continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proficient in CAD software (CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, or equivalent) and familiar with modern manufacturing technologies and automation.
• Experience working with Teamcenter, SAP, Oracle, or similar PLM/ERP platforms.
• Personal experience physically manufacturing hardware via any means (machining, fabrication, soldering, assembly, etc.). Work on personal or extracurricular projects is a plus.
• Master's degree in engineering, business, or related field.
• Active U.S. Secret security clearance.