Mechanical Engineer - Support Systems

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Maneuver Dominance team at Anduril develops operationally relevant, multi-asset autonomy. We are focused on new air vehicle development programs, and making large groups of autonomous systems work effectively together. Within the Maneuver Dominance team, we are growing an early-stage, undisclosed autonomous air vehicle (AAV) program at our Costa Mesa HQ. This team is chartered with re-inventing an existing platform through heavy modification and integration of advanced autonomy, mission systems, and payloads.

On this team, you will be tackling novel challenges across airframe, structures, avionics, and software from day one. As part of this program, you'll work alongside a tight-knit group of mechanical, structural, electrical, and software engineers, together with Program Leads and the Chief Engineer, all embedded in a single team driving toward major milestones.

You will work in a lean, high-ownership culture where the entire vehicle team sits side-by-side, iterating quickly and making decisions in real time. Given the early stage of the program, you will have influence over foundational architecture decisions and the opportunity to redefine an existing platform.

ABOUT THE JOB

In this role, you will own the mechanical development of the Support System for a vertical-lift autonomous aircraft: the ground support equipment (GSE), handling and transport equipment, and servicing interfaces that allow the aircraft to be shipped, set up, maintained and recovered in the field. You will start from the existing platform's equipment and provisions, adapt what fits and design new hardware where Anduril's modifications or field use demand it, taking it from concept through detailed CAD, rapid prototyping, test and production release. Your scope spans ground handling and lifting equipment, containerized transport and tie-down, maintenance stands and access equipment, fueling and servicing interfaces, and component and payload handling devices. We operate in a lean, high-ownership culture where you directly architect the physical product and move at the speed required to field new and adapted equipment within months, not years.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Architect, model and build Support Systems and GSE, driving hardware from concept down-selection through CAD, physical prototyping and fielded customer demonstrations.
• Design the aircraft's transport configuration and equipment: cradles, transport skids, lifting and tie-down provisions, and container load-outs, validated against the container envelope with CAD and full-scale fit checks.
• Rapidly build full-scale mock-ups and functional prototypes to de-risk handling, loading and servicing concepts before committing to flight hardware.
• Design and run lean, right-sized test plans for new mechanisms and equipment, and feed the results straight back into CAD and hardware revisions.
• Design rugged equipment for austere field and expeditionary use, including shipment by road, sea and air, with field survivability, reliability and human factors (team lift, reach, gloved operation) designed in.
• Design out physical hazards at the component level using MIL-STD-882E principles, with built-in mechanical safeguards and clear handling and servicing procedures.
• Work with the vehicle, payload and mission systems teams to adapt the existing platform's lifting, jacking, handling, payload, and servicing provisions to the modified aircraft.
• Release GSE into production: drawings, BOMs, part numbers and kits; make build-versus-buy and commercial-equipment selection calls; and support vendors and the shop through fabrication.
• Write and maintain the technical content for ground handling, transport and GSE procedures in the maintenance and support documentation.
• Keep configuration control across fast-moving prototype builds, test fixtures, mock-ups and field-trial assets.
• Travel to test and field sites to support build, test and deployment.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• BS or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience owning the design, analysis, build and functional test of complex physical hardware or mechanisms.
• Strong foundation in first-principles mechanical design, structural packaging, material selection (metals, composites, hardware) and 3D CAD modeling.
• Experience producing drawings and release documentation (GD&T, BOMs) and working with machine shops and vendors.
• Familiarity with system safety practices, hazard assessments and risk mitigation (e.g., MIL-STD-882E or equivalent industrial standards).
• Hands-on mechanical aptitude, an iterative prototype-to-learn mindset and a strong bias for action.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Direct experience developing aircraft GSE, lifting and handling equipment, or transport and packaging solutions for aerospace or defense systems, ideally for rotorcraft.
• Working knowledge of lifting, tie-down and transportability standards (e.g., MIL-STD-209, MIL-STD-1366, MIL-STD-1791) or ISO container shipping practice.
• Field experience supporting flight line operations, field maintenance or tactical deployments.
• Familiarity with aircraft fueling and servicing systems, or with the handling and shipping rules for lithium batteries and other dangerous goods.
• Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter.
• Hands-on fabrication, machining or aircraft mechanic experience (A&P license or military maintenance MOS/AFSC).
• Prior military service or a defense background with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

US Salary Range 132000 - 175000 USD