Staff Manufacturing Engineer - Barracuda

ABOUT THE SITE

Anduril, a leader in autonomous systems and weapons manufacturing, is building Arsenal-1, its first hyper-scale manufacturing facility, just south of Columbus, Ohio in Pickaway County. Arsenal-1 is redefining the scale and speed at which autonomous systems and weapons can be produced for the United States and its allies and partners. This is a monumental and essential step toward rebuilding America's defense industrial base, strengthening America's warfighting capabilities, and enhancing deterrence amid rising international threats.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

The future of defense is being built right now, and Anduril's Barracuda product is at its leading edge. Barracuda is a family of air-breathing autonomous air vehicles (AAVs) purpose-built for hyper-scale production and mass employment. The Barracuda family consists of Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250, and Barracuda-500. Each increment offers increasing size, range, and payload capacity, but all Barracudas are compatible with a host of payloads and employment mechanisms, support a variety of different missions, and provide warfighters with an adaptable and upgradeable capability to counter evolving threats.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Barracuda Launch Team (BLT) will set the standard for building the future at Arsenal-1, our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ashville, OH. As Barracuda transitions from low-rate initial production at Anduril HQ to high-rate manufacturing at Arsenal-1, this team will own the technology transfer, stand up production lines, and sustain the floor operations that make that ramp possible. You will have the opportunity to train under our world-class manufacturing team at Anduril HQ in Costa Mesa, CA for up to 2 months before bringing that standard of excellence back to Ohio.

ABOUT THE JOB

As a Staff Manufacturing Engineer, you will drive the enterprise-wide manufacturing strategy for Barracuda at Arsenal-1 and architect how Anduril builds autonomous air vehicles at hyper-scale. You'll lead the end-to-end technology transfer from HQ, design the production systems and line architecture for high-rate output, and establish the manufacturing process frameworks — RCCA systems, MES strategy, yield management programs, takt time structures, and scaling playbooks — that become organizational standards. This role sits at the intersection of deep hands-on electromechanical manufacturing expertise and strategic program leadership. You'll balance short-term production demands with long-term capability development, pioneering manufacturing approaches that create lasting competitive advantage.

** This role requires relocation to Costa Mesa, CA for an initial training program of up to 2 months. Housing, transportation, etc. will be provided during your stay.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Drive the enterprise-wide manufacturing strategy for Barracuda, aligning production systems, processes, and capacity plans with Anduril's long-term business objectives and Arsenal-1's ramp targets.
• Architect and lead the technology transfer of Barracuda production from Anduril HQ to Arsenal-1 — designing the production line layout, process flow, MES architecture, and quality systems for high-rate output.
• Establish the manufacturing process frameworks that become organizational standards: RCCA systems, yield management programs, takt time structures, line balancing methodologies, and scaling playbooks.
• Lead transformational line optimization initiatives that fundamentally redefine production capability — targeting step-change improvements in throughput, cost, and quality across the Barracuda program.
• Define and own the MES strategy for Barracuda production at Arsenal-1: system selection, workflow architecture, data models, and integration with quality and supply chain systems.
• Pioneer novel manufacturing approaches for complex electromechanical integration at scale; develop proprietary methods with potential for patent protection.
• Direct large-scale capital improvement programs with enterprise-wide impact; manage multi-million dollar portfolios of interdependent projects from justification through validation.
• Develop comprehensive manufacturing technology roadmaps, evaluate emerging technologies and create adoption strategies with quantified business impact.
• Establish manufacturing excellence models that balance efficiency, quality, and flexibility; lead breakthrough cost reduction programs delivering 7-figure annual savings.
• Serve as the company's foremost authority in electromechanical manufacturing processes for Barracuda; resolve the most complex technical challenges that impact critical business outcomes.
• Develop comprehensive technical career paths and competency models for the manufacturing engineering organization; design mentorship programs that accelerate development of high-potential engineers.
• Represent Anduril's manufacturing capabilities to key customers, partners, and industry bodies; establish strategic relationships with equipment suppliers and technology providers.
• Translate executive-level business strategies into manufacturing capability requirements; develop cost models that inform product strategy and pricing decisions.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 12+ years in manufacturing of electromechanical hardware, with progressive leadership of complex production programs and scaling operations.
• Degree in an engineering or technical field preferred, or equivalent depth of hands-on manufacturing experience.
• Deep, demonstrated expertise in complex electromechanical integration at production scale — you've built it, optimized it, and scaled it.
• Track record of standing up or transforming production lines: technology transfer, line design, process architecture, and ramp to rate.
• Mastery of the manufacturing process ecosystem: work instructions, MBOMs, RCCA, line optimization, takt time management, yield programs, MES strategy, and scaling operations.
• Experience leading transformational manufacturing initiatives with enterprise-wide impact and multi-million dollar scope.
• Proven ability to resolve the most complex technical challenges where no established solution paths exist.
• A world-class quality and mission-assurance mindset with the judgment to balance competing priorities across quality, cost, schedule, and manufacturability.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• High-rate manufacturing background in aerospace, defense, automotive/EV, or similar high-volume precision environment.
• Experience architecting production systems for a new facility or major production line standup from the ground up.
• Exposure to aircraft, aerospace, and defense programs at a strategic or program leadership level.
• Harness and PCBA fabrication experience, including SMT process expertise at scale.
• Hands-on experience with autonomous systems, flight vehicles, or related control systems.
• Lean Six Sigma (Black Belt or higher); deep familiarity with J-STD-001, IPC-A-610, and IPC/WHMA-A-620.
• Experience selecting, deploying, or architecting MES platforms for high-rate production environments.
• Published work, patents, or recognized contributions to manufacturing technology advancement.
• Software scripting ability in any language.
• Current active U.S. Secret security clearance.

US Salary Range 143000 - 191000 USD