Director of Advanced Design

Anduril • Costa Mesa, CA

1d

About The Position

We are seeking a Director of Advanced Design for the Air Dominance & Strike hardware engineering organization. This role will oversee the conceptual design for Group 5 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and advanced missile platforms.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in conceptual or preliminary design of aerospace systems, with technical leadership roles on Group 5 UAS, similar class aircraft, or advanced missile systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the core aerospace hardware disciplines: aerodynamics, structures, propulsion integration, or electrical systems.
• Deep understanding of system architecture, mission requirements, and full product lifecycle development.
• Proven experience leading high-performance engineering teams, ideally in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Experience with rapid prototyping and iterative development environments.
• Hands-on experience with advanced design tools, simulation, and test equipment.

Responsibilities

• Direct the end-to-end conceptual design process for UAV and missile platforms, including mission analysis, configuration trade studies, requirements development, and architecture selection.
• Serve as a technical expert for early-phase pursuits, shaping concept white-papers, customer proposals, and technology roadmaps, partnering with the chief engineering team.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with technical feasibility, affordability, and customer mission needs.
• Support direct interactions with customers to translate mission requirements into design concepts.
• Act as a senior technical decision-maker, applying engineering intuition and prior experience to ensure effective design paths and avoid costly development missteps.
• Partner with Chief Engineers and product teams to align engineering execution with broader mission and capability goals.
• Stay at the forefront of emerging aerospace technologies and threats, incorporating disruptive innovations into early-stage designs.

Benefits

• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package.
• top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: Benefits At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director