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Full Time Payload Operator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Payload Lead

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$191K - $253K/yr

Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns ... Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are ...

Systems Engineer Schedule: Full-Time Shift: Day Job Travel: Yes - 10% of the time Minimum Clearance ... Operating within a fast-paced acquisition environment, we benefit from streamlined authorities and ...

Lead Thermal Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

Exempt, Full Time Location: Moriarty, NM or North Bay, CA Who Are We: Sceye is a high-growth ... Define thermal requirements, margins, and operating limits for avionics, batteries, payloads, and ...

Lead Thermal Engineer

Moriarty, NM · On-site

$91K - $119K/yr

Exempt, Full Time Location: Moriarty, NM or North Bay, CA Who Are We: Sceye is a high-growth ... Define thermal requirements, margins, and operating limits for avionics, batteries, payloads, and ...

Payloads Lead

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$132K - $198K/yr

As a Payload Engineer, you will lead/enable mechanical design, analysis and integration of Anduril ... Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are ...

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Full Time Payload Operator information

What is the difference between Full Time Payload Operator vs Part Time Payload Operator?

AspectFull Time Payload OperatorPart Time Payload Operator
Work HoursTypically 40+ hours per weekFewer hours, often less than 30 hours per week
CertificationsRequired certifications such as FAA Part 107 or equivalentSame certifications as full-time, but may vary based on hours
Work EnvironmentConsistent schedule, full-time employment in aviation or drone operationsFlexible schedule, often on an as-needed basis
Employer UsageEmployed directly by companies for ongoing operationsContract or freelance basis for specific projects

In summary, a Full Time Payload Operator works regular hours with full employment benefits, while a Part Time Payload Operator has flexible hours and may work on a contractual basis. Both roles require similar certifications and operate in comparable environments within the drone and aviation industry.

What are the most commonly searched types of Payload Operator jobs? The most popular types of Payload Operator jobs are:
Infographic showing various Full Time Payload Operator job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 74% Full Time, 24% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution.
Payload Lead

$191K - $253K/yr

Full-time

Posted 9 days ago


Anduril rating

9.1

Company rating: 9.1 out of 10

Anduril

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7.4

Company rating compared to similar companies: 7.4 out of 10

Manufacturers average

Based on 74,318 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

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 TEAM
Anduril's Maritime Division is responsible for planning and executing Anduril's product and revenue roadmap for maritime missions. Working across product, engineering, business development, logistics, and operations, the Maritime team develops, tests, deploys, and sustains the Anduril maritime capabilities in a challenging operational environment worldwide. As a leader in the Maritime Division, you must be a technical leader with the expertise to evaluate, qualify, manage, and advocate for an increasing number of sophisticated parallel pursuits. This role is crucial in ensuring that each initiative aligns with the company's strategic direction and receives the appropriate resourcing, balancing innovation with practical execution to drive the business line's success.
ABOUT THE JOB
You will own payload integration within Mission Systems for a maritime autonomous vehicle, owning integration of Anduril and third-party payloads from concept through deployment. Reporting to the Mission Systems Lead, you will own payload interfaces, interoperability, mission development, and reference mission kits. You will ensure payloads meet customer mission requirements and integrate with the vehicle platform and autonomy stack.
Your spectrum of support will be diverse in nature and require you to leverage your technical expertise as well as leadership skills to set objectives, build cross-functional teams, and rapidly drive to completion. The ability to leverage your intuition and prior experience will be key in making sure the right design, analysis, and test steps are completed to ensure success. The ideal candidate will leverage their experience executing and successfully completing prior highly optimized multi-disciplinary projects.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Own payload architecture: mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces for all mission payloads
  • Drive integration of Anduril payloads and government-furnished equipment onto the platform
  • Drive interoperability standards for payload modularity across vehicle configurations
  • Develop reference mission kits that package payloads with autonomy behaviors for specific mission sets
  • Define payload interface requirements and work with Vehicle Systems on accommodation
  • Manage payload integration schedule and cost across prototype and production phases
  • Coordinate with third-party vendors on payload qualification and integration
  • Provide technical mentorship to engineers across payload disciplines
  • Support testing and field deployment of payload systems
  • Represent the payload subsystem in technical and customer meetings
  • Interface with Mission Systems Lead and autonomy team on mission system integration
  • Travel up to 25% to test sites, vendor facilities, and customer locations
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent
  • 5+ years of experience in payload integration, weapons systems, or mission systems
  • Experience delivering payload integration in defense or aerospace environments
  • Demonstrated experience with sensor integration, weapons systems, or C4ISR payloads
  • Experience with the full product delivery lifecycle: design, test, manufacturing, deployment
  • Deep understanding of military mission sets and payload capabilities
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience with maritime or undersea payload systems
  • Working knowledge of payload certification and weapons safety (MIL-STD-882E)
  • Experience with autonomous systems payload integration
  • Familiarity with modular open systems architecture (MOSA)
  • Prior Navy or defense operational experience

US Salary Range
$191,000-$253,000 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.

Working at Anduril

About Anduril, in their own words

From Anduril

As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril delivers cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the warfighter in months, not years.


What Anduril employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Anduril Industries logo

About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

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