Senior Technical Program Manager, Small Drones

Anduril Anduril · Defense · Costa Mesa, CA · Tactical Recon & Strike

The Senior Technical Program Manager will define the software roadmap for core TRS Products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt, and Altius, and autonomously execute on broad and/or ambiguous requirements to ensure successful delivery of outcomes on multiple programs simultaneously. This role involves coordinating and executing frequent test events, demonstrating extreme ownership, partnering deeply with engineering leaders to drive program execution and team velocity, and ensuring the technical roadmap is well understood and aligned with programs and staffing. The TPM will manage, unblock, and accelerate cross-team projects, identify and resolve systemic execution issues, and partner with engineering and product leads to scope, staff, and deliver capabilities. They will also identify, resolve, and escalate key cross-team dependencies, support staffing plans, and collaborate closely with other partner teams. The role requires tracking and communicating program progress, defining efficient communication processes, removing obstacles, driving clarity and progress, managing escalations, and understanding technical implementation at an architectural level to propose alternatives.

What you'd actually do

  1. Define the software roadmap for core TRS Products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt, and Altius.
  2. Autonomously execute on broad and/or ambiguous requirements from internal engineering, the program office, and third party corporate partners to own successful delivery of outcomes on multiple programs simultaneously.
  3. Coordinate and execute frequent test events involving various levels of software and hardware, from full-software and hardware-in-the-loop simulations at Anduril HQ to flight test events and demonstrations at test sites.
  4. Demonstrate extreme ownership of all pieces of work; become a trusted partner to Anduril’s engineers and product leaders.
  5. Partner deeply with engineering leaders to drive successful program execution and team velocity across groups of software teams and more broadly across departments. Be an effective proxy in program and organizational matters to help engineering leads scale.

Skills

Required

  • Technical Program Management
  • Robotics
  • Software Development
  • Agile Methodologies
  • Waterfall Methodologies
  • Project Management
  • Technical Aptitude
  • Understanding of Software Development Lifecycle
  • Risk Management
  • Collaboration with Engineering Teams
  • Test Environment Experience
  • U.S. Secret Security Clearance

Nice to have

  • Computer Vision Systems Architecture
  • Building programs for software and testing deliverables from ground up
  • Working within organizations with minimal structure and with minimal direction
  • Rolling out potentially disruptive organizational process changes
  • Creating communication plans for various levels of stakeholders
  • Technical, analytical and quantitative skills
  • Using data and metrics to back up assumptions, recommendations and drive decisions
  • JIRA
  • Confluence
  • CISSP
  • OSCP
  • GIAC-PEN
  • Prosci
  • SAFe
  • PMP
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or an Engineering discipline

What the JD emphasized

  • Minimum of 5+ years experience as a Technical Program Manager, Technical Product Manager, Engineering Manager, or Engineer in an autonomous systems, robotics, or software development environment.
  • A strong familiarity with robotics or computer vision systems and their architecture preferred.
  • Solid technical aptitude and an ability to understand technical designs, software development lifecycle, challenges and risks; ability to work closely and effectively with engineering teams.
  • Experience working in a rapidly iterating test environment with high levels of integration with software development teams.
  • Strong experience in project management; practical familiarity with both Agile and Waterfall methodologies and ability to apply them where best suited.
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.