Senior Manager, Battery Mechanical Engineering

Anduril Anduril · Defense · Costa Mesa, CA · Hardware Engineering : Core Technology Products : Battery Mechanical Engineering

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company developing advanced military systems. This role is for a Senior Manager of Battery Mechanical Engineering, responsible for the design, thermal management, and structural integration of battery systems for various defense platforms. The role involves leading a team, driving battery architecture, ensuring thermal and safety engineering, collaborating cross-functionally, focusing on design for manufacturability, and overseeing test and validation. The company mentions AI, autonomy, computer vision, and sensor fusion as powering their systems, but this specific role is focused on mechanical engineering of battery systems.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead & Mentor: Build, manage, and mentor a world-class team of battery mechanical and thermal engineers. Foster a culture of rapid iteration, technical excellence, and extreme ownership.
  2. Drive Battery Architecture: Own the mechanical architecture of high-voltage, high-energy-density battery packs. This includes structural frame design, cell-to-pack/cell-to-module integration, sealing (IP67/68), and containment.
  3. Thermal & Safety Engineering: Oversee thermal management system design (passive, liquid-cooled, phase-change materials) and lead mitigation strategies for propagation/thermal runaway.
  4. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Electrical Engineering (BMS), Cell Chemistry, Systems Engineering, and product line teams (Air, Land, Sea) to define requirements and interface boundaries.
  5. Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Work with manufacturing and supply chain partners to transition designs to high-rate production. Define assembly processes, tooling requirements, and end-of-line testing.

Skills

Required

  • B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in mechanical design, with a strong focus on high-voltage lithium-ion battery packs or energy storage systems (EV, Aerospace, or Consumer Electronics).
  • 3+ years of experience directly managing and leading engineering teams.
  • Deep expertise in mechanical design tools (e.g., NX, SolidWorks) and PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter).
  • Strong understanding of battery pack safety principles, including thermal runaway isolation, venting, and high-voltage isolation.
  • Hands-on experience with finite element analysis (FEA) for structural/vibration and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for thermal management.
  • Familiarity with battery standards and regulatory testing (e.g., UN 38.3, NAVSEA SG IX, UL 2580, DO-311).
  • Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance.

Nice to have

  • Experience in the defense, aerospace, or automotive EV sectors (e.g., Tesla, SpaceX, Rivian, or similar fast-paced hardware environments).
  • Experience with automated assembly processes, cell bonding (ultrasonic wire bonding, laser welding), and high-volume manufacturing.
  • Experience with subsea pressure vessel design or high-altitude aerospace thermal management.

What the JD emphasized

  • Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance.