Materials and Process Engineer, Air Dominance and Strike

Anduril • Costa Mesa, CA

1d

About The Position

The Materials and Process Engineer will support the Air Dominance and Strike Aerostructures Engineering Team, which designs and analyzes structural parts for Group 5 air vehicles and missile platforms. The team manages development from conceptual through detailed design and analysis of primary and secondary structures, producing high-performance, resilient, scalable mechanical systems for complex, contested environments. This engineer owns materials and process work for those structures, including selecting materials, executing processes, and qualifying metallic and composite hardware from preliminary design through prototype manufacturing and production.

The role involves applying established processes for bonding, surface preparation, coatings, fastening, and composite layup; contributing to structural trade studies; supporting material and process standards and documentation; and characterizing materials and processes through testing. The engineer will coordinate with internal and external test labs and collaborate with structures and manufacturing teams. Onsite support at manufacturing and integration sites includes investigating process issues, dispositioning non-conformances, and assisting with failure reviews and root-cause investigations.

The position is anticipated to be based in Long Beach, California, beginning in late 2027. The listed US salary range is $101,000–$135,000, base salary only. The posting also notes that equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers and that Anduril offers a benefits package for full-time employees, but does not enumerate specific benefits.

Requirements

• B.S. in Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience in aerospace, defense, or a related industry; internship, co-op, or academic project experience counts toward the lower end.
• Foundational knowledge of materials science and structural engineering principles.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes relevant to airframe hardware, including bonding, machining, coating, surface finishing, composites, and fastening.
• Willingness to work in a dynamic environment, take direction from senior engineers, and iterate quickly.
• Strong time-management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a US DoD Secret Clearance or higher.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on shop skills, including the ability to fabricate parts and fixtures in-house using mills, lathes, drills, band saws, and standard hand tools.
• Familiarity with structural testing methods and experimentation, including ASTM test standards, load frames, strain gaging, and structural mechanics fundamentals.
• Coursework or project experience in composites design, fabrication, or testing.
• Exposure to Siemens NX or similar CAD software.
• Experience with fast-paced prototype fabrication, particularly for uncrewed aircraft.
• Coursework or exposure to high-temperature materials selection.
• Familiarity with material characterization techniques such as FTIR, SEM, TGA, and mechanical testing.
• Practical aircraft knowledge, such as a pilot’s license, A&P experience, or RC/UAV building.

Responsibilities

• Own material selection and compliance for primary and secondary metallic and composite structural parts, working with structures engineers from preliminary design through prototype manufacturing and production.
• Execute established processes for bonding, surface preparation, coatings, fastening, and composite layup on airframe hardware.
• Contribute to structural trade studies, evaluating material and process choices for weight, performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
• Apply design-for-manufacturing principles so structural solutions can be produced at rate.
• Contribute to material and process standards, approved materials lists, and common procedures across air vehicle programs.
• Author portions of technical documentation, including specifications, procedures, test reports, and vendor requirements, with review and mentorship from senior engineers.
• Support reviews of vendor and subcontractor build records for materials and process compliance.
• Design and conduct tests to characterize materials and process performance, including bond strength, coupon-level mechanical properties, and environmental exposure.
• Coordinate with internal and external test labs on characterization and failure analysis.
• Reduce and analyze test data, draw defensible engineering conclusions, and communicate them to structures and manufacturing engineering teams.
• Provide onsite engineering support at manufacturing and integration sites, including root-causing process issues, dispositioning non-conformances, and closing loops with structures and manufacturing.
• Support failure reviews and root-cause investigations alongside more senior engineers.

Benefits

• Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers.
• A comprehensive, competitive benefits package is available at little to no cost to employees.

What This Job Offers

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