DFx Engineer - Mechanical & Fluid Systems

ABOUT THE JOB

Anduril's Air Dominance & Strike (AD&S) Manufacturing Engineering team is seeking a DFx Manufacturing Engineer to support design for manufacturability, assembly, and cost analysis across our mechanical, structural, thermal management, and fluid systems (fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics) subsystems. This role spans our full portfolio of autonomous aircraft, cruise missiles, and loitering munitions — and is an excellent opportunity for an early-career engineer to develop deep expertise in how design decisions impact producibility, supplier selection, and unit cost.

Working under the guidance of Staff and Senior DFx Engineers, you will learn to evaluate designs through the lenses of manufacturability, assembly, and cost — the three factors that determine whether hardware can be produced at rate, by a qualified supplier, at an affordable price point. You will work alongside subject matter expert (SME) manufacturing engineers and design engineers, building the technical judgment and cross-functional relationships that make DFx effective.

You will also gain hands-on exposure to contract manufacturer evaluation and qualification — visiting supplier facilities, participating in process assessments, and learning how to match supplier capabilities to production requirements. This is an inherently cross-functional role: you will work daily with supply chain, quality, operations, and program teams in addition to ME and DE. You will grow quickly here — our programs move fast, the hardware is real, and the impact of your work shows up on the production floor and in the cost model.

You must be able to work on-site Monday-Friday at our Costa Mesa, CA campus. Per Anduril's expansion plans, we anticipate this job will be based out of our new Long Beach, CA campus, beginning late 2027.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Support DFx analysis across mechanical, structural, thermal, and fluid systems subsystems for AD&S programs, working under the guidance of Staff and Senior DFx Engineers, with a focus on manufacturability, assembly, and cost.
• Participate in structured DFM/DFA/DFC reviews at key design milestones, learning and applying the scoring methodology to identify producibility and cost risks and recommend design changes.
• Participate in DFMEAs with cross-functional teams. Use FMEA outputs to drive design changes, inspection strategies, and control plans.
• Work with SME manufacturing engineers and design engineers to provide manufacturing and cost feedback on designs, learning to translate constraints into actionable recommendations.
• Support the evaluation and qualification of contract manufacturers — participating in facility reviews, process audits, and capability assessments under the guidance of senior team members.
• Help build and maintain should-cost models and cost-driver analyses for mechanical and fluid system assemblies.
• Help develop and maintain DFx standards, guidelines, and scorecards specific to mechanical manufacturing processes including CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, brazing, composite layup and bonding, tube bending and swaging, and mechanical assembly.
• Analyze designs across key lenses — manufacturability/assembly, cost structure, adherence to specification, process capability, and technology maturity — contributing to risk assessments that inform engineering and program decisions.
• Work with supply chain to understand how DFx requirements connect to sourcing strategy and supplier selection.
• Collaborate with quality engineering to understand how DFx findings translate into inspection plans, acceptance criteria, and supplier quality requirements.
• Spend time on the production floor and at supplier sites to build firsthand understanding of how mechanical hardware, thermal systems, and fluid components are manufactured.
• Contribute to the DFx toolkit — templates, scoring rubrics, cost models, lessons-learned databases, and training materials.
• Travel to production sites, contract manufacturers, and supplier facilities (~20%, depending on business needs).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, OR equivalent full-time, relevant industry experience.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or a related role with exposure to mechanical systems, thermal management, or fluid systems. Co-op, internship, or capstone project experience in a manufacturing environment counts.
• Foundational knowledge of mechanical manufacturing processes: CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, composite fabrication, or mechanical assembly.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, interpret GD&T, and review 3D models with an eye toward producibility.
• Interest in understanding manufacturing cost drivers and how design decisions impact unit cost.
• Familiarity with aerospace mechanical standards or a willingness to learn and apply them quickly.
• Strong communication skills and a willingness to engage directly with design engineers, manufacturing engineers, quality, supply chain, and operations — cross-functional collaboration is the core of this job, not a side task.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment across multiple programs simultaneously.
• A genuine interest in manufacturing and a drive to understand how things are actually built and what they cost to produce. Personal experience in a machine shop, fabrication shop, or working on hardware (machining, welding, assembly, personal projects) is a strong plus.
• An attitude of world-class mission assurance, quality, attention to detail, and dedication.
• Self-motivated and proactive — you take initiative, ask good questions, and close the loop on what you commit to.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in engineering or a related field.
• Internship or co-op experience in aerospace or defense mechanical manufacturing.
• Exposure to DFM/DFA review processes, producibility engineering, or cost analysis.
• Familiarity with AS9100 or similar quality management systems.
• Experience visiting or evaluating manufacturing suppliers in any capacity.
• Proficiency in CAD software (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar) sufficient to navigate and review designs.
• Exposure to composite manufacturing, fluid system fabrication, or thermal management hardware production.
• Experience with data analysis, cost modeling, or presentation development.
• Experience with Full Size Determinant Assembly (FSDA).
• Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance with Full-Scope Polygraph.

US Salary Range 132000 - 175000 USD