Advanced Composites Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE JOB
Anduril's Manufacturing team is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join our team and be a subject matter expert in composites manufacturing. The Manufacturing Team is responsible for rapidly iterating and building cutting-edge defense hardware, including static equipment, moving ground equipment, and complex flight vehicles. This responsibility includes everything in the manufacturing value-chain, including, but not limited to, Design for Manufacturability work, tool design & selection, process creation & optimization, vendor sourcing & interaction, quality planning, and work documentation associated with the hardware that the Manufacturing Engineer owns.
The right person for this role can demonstrate past holistic ownership on solving a technical challenge with a creative, physical solution that they either personally manufactured or oversaw manufacturing on, in a fast-paced, resource-limited environment. If you are someone who thrives in such an environment, then this role is for you.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
Technical Leadership

• Serve as the primary technical expert for all composites manufacturing processes, assembly, and test methodologies.
• Provide expert consultation, guidance, and mentorship to manufacturing engineers, production teams, and cross-functional departments.
• Stay abreast of emerging manufacturing technologies, materials, and industry trends specific to composites manufacturing, recommending and championing their adoption where beneficial.
• Evaluate, select, and integrate new manufacturing technologies and automation solution concepts into production.
• Ensure all manufacturing processes and products adhere strictly to industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal quality management systems.

New Product Introduction

• Leverage expertise in New Product Introduction (NPI) to seamlessly transition Anduril products from prototype to high-volume production, optimizing manufacturability and supply chain scalability
• Collaborate with Design Engineering teams early in the development process to provide feedback for Design For Manufacturability (DFM)
• Establish scalable DFM frameworks that enable consistent execution across multiple products, sites, and manufacturing partners
• Review and analyze technical data packages (TDPs) for composite components to ensure completeness, accuracy, and manufacturability before supplier handoff

Process Optimization & Improvement

• Develop and maintain composites workmanship standards, process parameters, and design rules aligned to evolving product and technology roadmaps
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma) to enhance product quality, reduce costs, decrease cycle times, and improve overall operational efficiency.

Collaboration & Communication

• Act as a technical liaison between various departments (Design, Quality, Supply Chain, Test, Operations).
• Present complex technical information, recommendations, and project updates to senior leadership and technical teams.
• Interface with key suppliers to resolve technical issues and ensure component manufacturability and quality.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in a technical field such as engineering, math, or a hard science.
• 8+ years of experience in a relevant field, manufacturing or design
• Demonstrated ability to creatively integrate and deliver in a resource-constrained environment.
• Possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly; apply them accurately; organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases; and, determine the appropriate approach at the task level or, with assistance, at the project level to provide solutions to a range of complex problems.
• Knowledge of PLM, ERP, MES, and other related manufacturing planning and management systems.
• Willingness to travel frequently (>25%) to support global manufacturing operations
• Demonstrated success in scaling product testing and production from tens/hundreds to hundreds/thousands.
• Experience in designing and working with molds for composites made from a variety of materials, and a thorough understanding of tradeoffs in material selection
• Demonstrated expertise in multiple composite fabrication processes including:
• Autoclave processing
• Resin transfer molding (RTM)
• Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM)
• Out-of-autoclave processing
• Compression molding
• Filament winding
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

US Salary Range
$166,000-$220,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

• No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
• Please always verify communications:
  • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
  • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.