A

Anduril

Builds autonomous weapons for the US and allies

Materials and Process Engineer - Air Dominance and Strike

Materials & StructuresConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeCosta Mesa, CA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

  • A B.S. in Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field is required.
  • 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 airframe hardware manufacturing processes, 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 U.S. Department of Defense Secret Clearance or higher.

Responsibilities

  • Own material selection and compliance for primary and secondary structural parts, both metallic and composite, alongside 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 by weighing material and process choices against 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 used across air vehicle programs.
  • Author sections of technical documentation, including specifications, procedures, test reports, and vendor requirements, with review and mentorship from senior engineers.
  • Support review of vendor and subcontractor build records for materials and process compliance.
  • Design and run tests to characterize material 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 clearly to structures and manufacturing engineering.
  • Provide on-site 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.

Desired Qualifications

  • Hands-on shop skills, including fabricating 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 computer-aided design software.
  • Experience with fast-paced prototype fabrication, particularly of uncrewed aircraft.
  • Coursework or exposure to high-temperature materials selection.
  • Familiarity with material characterization techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and mechanical testing.
  • Practical aircraft knowledge, such as a pilot’s license, airframe and powerplant certification, or radio-controlled/uncrewed aerial vehicle building.

About the Company

Anduril

Builds autonomous weapons for the US and allies

Anduril builds autonomous weapons, such as drones, cruise missiles, and robot submarines, for the US military and its allies, often developing them with its own money before any order arrives. In 2024 it beat Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman for an Air Force contract to develop Fury, a pilotless jet that flies alongside crewed fighters. Its Lattice software merges camera and radar feeds into one live map and lets a few operators direct many drones and weapons at once, including other companies' systems. Governments buy its systems under contract, and Anduril builds much of the hardware in its own factories. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey co-founded Anduril in 2017, and it is based in Costa Mesa, California.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
Private
Total funding
$11.5B
Headquarters
Costa Mesa, CA
Founded
2017

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Anduril

See more jobs