Head of Manufacturing Engineering, Space

Anduril Anduril · Defense · Costa Mesa, CA · Manufacturing : Manufacturing Engineering : Manufacturing Engineering

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company seeking a Head of Manufacturing Engineering, Space. This role will lead manufacturing engineering efforts for space programs, focusing on bringing complex space-qualified hardware from prototype to production. Responsibilities include leading teams, developing manufacturing processes, ensuring manufacturability and quality, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The role requires extensive experience in aerospace manufacturing, systems engineering, and team leadership, with a focus on scaling production and meeting stringent space-grade requirements.

What you'd actually do

  1. Recruit, mentor, develop, and lead a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers and integration & test engineers and foster a culture of innovation, excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  2. Serve as the primary manufacturing engineering lead for several assigned space programs, ensuring technical alignment and execution.
  3. Oversee the development, implementation, and optimization of manufacturing processes for complex, high-precision space-qualified hardware, including structures, propulsion, avionics, thermal systems, and optical components.
  4. Ensure robust Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles are integrated throughout the product lifecycle, influencing design decisions from early concept phases.
  5. Establish and enforce rigorous quality control standards and inspection methods, ensuring all hardware meets stringent space-grade requirements and a zero-defect mentality.

Skills

Required

  • Degree in a technical field (engineering, math, or hard science)
  • 12+ years of experience in a relevant field (space and satellite manufacturing, systems engineering, or design of electromechanical hardware)
  • Demonstrated ability to creatively deliver electromechanical hardware in a resource-constrained environment
  • Experience in unit-level/space vehicle/system integration, assembly, and environmental testing (eg., vibration, thermal vacuum, acoustic, shock, and EMI/EMC)
  • Background in integration and testing of avionics/optical payloads, solar, propulsion, ADCS, or other space hardware
  • Proven team leadership skills
  • Personal experience physically manufacturing hardware through various methods (machining, fabrication, soldering, assembly, etc.)
  • Ability to understand new concepts quickly; apply them accurately; organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases; and, determine the appropriate approach at the task level or, with assistance, at the project level to provide solutions to a range of complex problems
  • Familiarity with CAD software, Manufacturing Execution systems, and ERP/MRP systems
  • A genuine interest in manufacturing and a thirst for learning, particularly in the space domain
  • Willingness to travel frequently (>25%)
  • Demonstrated success in scaling product testing and production from one to tens/hundreds
  • Active security clearance or ability to obtain a security clearance

Nice to have

  • Experience in test hardware and software development
  • Software scripting experience in python
  • Experience writing test plans, procedures, and work instruction documentation
  • Ability to work effectively in space manufacturing environments
  • Demonstrated skill at driving and questioning design and customer requirements

What the JD emphasized

  • space-qualified hardware
  • space programs
  • space-flight quality standards
  • space components
  • space-grade requirements
  • space manufacturing