Andurilindustries

Andurilindustries

Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Thermal Protection Systems, High-Speed Missiles

Costa Mesa, California, United States · Senior · Full-time

Sponsorship not specified$146k-$194kDetected 1 day ago
Computer VisionCybersecuritySupply ChainRecruitingSensorsCommunicationAdaptability

About the role

  • As a Manufacturing Engineer supporting Thermal Protection Systems on the High-Speed Missiles team, you will be at the absolute bleeding edge of aerospace and defense technology.
  • Hypersonic flight-sustained travel at speeds of Mach 5 and beyond-represents one of the most demanding engineering challenges of our time.
  • To survive these extreme environments, our vehicles must withstand intense thermal, aerodynamic, and structural forces.

Responsibilities

  • Own the Production Line: Design, commission, and continuously optimize the assembly lines, work cells, and floor layouts for our hypersonic missile programs.
  • Bridge Design and Manufacturing: Collaborate intimately with design engineers during the early development phases to drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), ensuring the vehicle is optimized for high-rate production.
  • Pioneer Advanced Processes: Develop and scale manufacturing processes for exotic materials, advanced composite structures, thermal protection systems (TPS), and high-performance propulsion integration (such as rocket motors and air-breathing engines).
  • Design Tooling & Equipment: Architect, procure, and qualify custom assembly tooling, fixtures, and automated assembly equipment to increase throughput and quality.
  • Drive From Prototype to Rate: Lead the transition of hardware from first-article prototyping through Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and into mature, high-rate manufacturing.
  • Author Technical Standards: Create and maintain work instructions, manufacturing bills of materials (MBOMs), routing, and quality documentation.
  • Design, commission, and continuously optimize the assembly lines, work cells, and floor layouts for our hypersonic missile programs.
  • Collaborate intimately with design engineers during the early development phases to drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), ensuring the vehicle is optimized for high-rate production.
  • Develop and scale manufacturing processes for exotic materials, advanced composite structures, thermal protection systems (TPS), and high-performance propulsion integration (such as rocket motors and air-breathing engines).
  • Lead the transition of hardware from first-article prototyping through Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and into mature, high-rate manufacturing.

Requirements

  • TPS Materials Expertise: Hands-on experience working with High-Temperature Materials (e.g., Carbon-Carbon, Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), ablatives, or high-temperature insulation/tiles).
  • Travel: Willingness to travel periodically ( U.S. Person Status: Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
  • YoE: 8+ years of experience working in manufacturing or related field

Nice to have

  • Hypersonic / Re-entry Experience: Prior experience specifically working on hypersonic flight vehicles, re-entry vehicles, rocket nozzles, or space capsule thermal shields.
  • High-Temperature Characterization: Familiarity with high-temperature material testing methods (e.g., arc-jet testing, oxy-acetylene torch testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), or laser-heating tests).
  • Advanced Bonding & Assembly: Deep understanding of high-temperature adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and integration techniques used to attach TPS to metallic or composite airframe structures.
  • Vendor & Supply Chain Management: Experience working with external material suppliers and test facilities to source, qualify, and scale raw materials and specialized manufacturing processes.
  • Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE): Familiarity with NDE methods used for composite/TPS inspection, such as ultrasound, thermography, or X-ray/CT scanning.

Compensation

  • US Salary Range
  • $146,000 - $194,000 USD
  • The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only.

Benefits

  • Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next.
  • For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
  • As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
  • Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.
  • Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package.
  • Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Company info

  • The Missiles Manufacturing Engineering team at Anduril is dedicated to rewriting the playbook for precision strike and deterrent capabilities.
  • Modern threats demand a paradigm shift in how tactical weapons are designed and produced, and our team is rapidly scaling production to deliver the unprecedented volume, speed, and affordability that U.S. and Allied forces require.
  • On this team, you will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking programs like our Barracuda family of air-breathing missiles-including all of its highly adaptable sub-variants-as well as cutting-edge hypersonic missile systems and a pipeline of next-generation strike technologies.
  • As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will own the production lifecycle of one of these critical weapons systems, driving high-rate assembly lines and leading rapid production ramps from prototype to scale.
  • In this role, you will be deeply embedded in the entire lifecycle of these state-of-the-art systems, bridging the gap between initial design and physical production.
  • You will have the autonomy to take on massive, complex projects and own them from cradle to grave.
  • We are looking for engineers with a fierce sense of ownership and an insatiable drive to push their technical boundaries.
  • If you thrive in the face of ambiguity, welcome the challenge of complex engineering problems, and are excited to step outside of your comfort zone to build the future of defense, this is the place for you.
  • Your work will directly reshape global deterrence and change the balance of defense capabilities on a global scale.
  • Apply now and become part of our mission to secure a safer tomorrow.
  • At Anduril, we are changing that.
  • At Anduril, we invest in our people.

Visa & Work Authorization

  • Travel: Willingness to travel periodically ( U.S. Person Status: Must be a U
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