Program Release Manager Jobs in Irvine, CA (NOW HIRING)

Anduril's Electronic Warfare (EW) division builds next-generation electronic warfare platforms - hardware-enabled, software-defined systems that are fielded, operational, and scaling fast. The EW team operates at a tempo the defense industry isn't used to: delivering novel system configurations into active operations in days, not months, securing major contract awards in under 24 hours, and earning unanimous fielding recommendations from government evaluators. Production is scaling from hundreds to thousands of units across multiple product variants, and the release and delivery challenges are scaling with it.

We are looking for a Release Manager to own the end-to-end software release process for EW products. This is a critical role at the intersection of engineering, test, operations, and the customer. You will be the person who ensures that the right software ships to the right systems at the right time, with the confidence that it works.EW systems are software-defined and rapidly evolving. The release landscape includes multiple hardware platforms, multiple product variants, and customers who are operating in contested environments where reliability is non-negotiable. You'll need to balance the pressure to ship fast with the discipline to ship correctly - managing release cadences, coordinating across engineering teams, driving quality gates, and communicating clearly to stakeholders at every level.This role is process-focused but technically grounded. You won't be writing production code day-to-day, but you need to understand the build systems, CI/CD pipelines, and test infrastructure well enough to diagnose issues, drive improvements, and hold engineering teams accountable to release standards.

• Own and execute the software release process for EW products across multiple hardware platforms and product variants
• Define and manage release plans aligned with program milestones, customer commitments, and operational timelines
• Coordinate across embedded software, mission software, test, and operations teams to drive releases from branch cut through validation to field deployment
• Manage release artifacts including build packages, release notes, known issues, and supporting documentation for internal and customer consumption
• Clearly communicate release status, timelines, risks, and blockers to stakeholders at all levels - from engineers to program leadership to customers
• Drive continuous improvement of release processes, quality gates, and automation to increase release velocity and confidence
• Coordinate the deployment of development and candidate releases to test and evaluation teams for validation
• Work with QA and test teams to ensure adequate test coverage before release, including tracking test results and managing go/no-go decisions
• Manage and improve the CI/CD environment in collaboration with engineering - understanding build pipelines, automated test suites, and deployment tooling well enough to identify bottlenecks and drive fixes
• Support configuration management and traceability for deployed software across the fleet
• Travel up to 25% to support integration events, deployments, and customer engagements

• 5+ years of experience in release management, release engineering, or a related technical program management role
• Experience owning a software release process for products with multiple hardware and software variants
• Working knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, build automation, and version control (Git, GitHub, CircleCI, or equivalent)
• Ability to read and navigate codebases: you don't need to write production code, but you need to understand what's changing in a release and why
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams (engineering, test, operations) through structured release processes
• Strong written and verbal communication skills: you'll be coordinating release documentation, running go/no-go meetings, and briefing stakeholders
• Experience with Linux-based development and deployment environments
• Familiarity with the DoD software ecosystem: SDLC practices, DevSecOps, continuous ATO, or similar compliance frameworks
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret/SCI security clearance
• Willingness to travel up to 25%

• Experience with Nix/NixOS for deterministic builds and configuration management
• Experience with release processes for safety-critical or mission-critical systems (MIL-STD-882 or equivalent)
• Familiarity with Haskell, Rust, or C++ build ecosystems
• Experience with edge deployments where systems operate disconnected or in degraded network environments
• Experience implementing or managing software-in-the-loop (SITL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) test environments
• Proficiency in scripting for automation and tooling
• Experience with configuration management and software traceability across a deployed fleet
• Prior experience in defense technology, electronic warfare, or RF systems
• Experience scaling release processes during rapid production ramp-ups