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Sensor Operator Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Sensor Operator information

What is a Sensor Operator?

A Sensor Operator is a specialized professional who operates and monitors sensor equipment, often on military aircraft such as drones or surveillance planes. Their main responsibility is to collect, analyze, and interpret data from various sensors, including radar, infrared, and video systems. Sensor Operators play a critical role in intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and targeting missions. They work closely with pilots and mission commanders to provide real-time information and ensure the success of missions. This role requires strong technical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Sensor Operator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Sensor Operator, you need strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and an understanding of electronic and surveillance systems, often supported by specialized military or technical training. Familiarity with sensor platforms, data analysis software, GPS systems, and sometimes security clearance are typically required. Excellent communication, teamwork, and decision-making skills help operators relay critical information quickly and accurately. These abilities are vital for ensuring accurate data collection and mission success in high-stakes environments.

What Does a Sensor Operator Do?

A sensor operator is a fairly new position with the advent of unmanned aircraft and involves employing airborne sensors, either manually or with the help of a computer, to track and monitor various objects. The air force is one major employer for these types of defense positions. In this role, you assist with flight operations, debriefing, and planning missions. Your main task is to continually monitor these surveillance and weapon systems in a remote setting, ensuring each mission is successful. Other duties include detecting the correct targets using various forms of radar and video.

What is the difference between Sensor Operator vs Radar Technician?

AspectSensor OperatorRadar Technician
Required CredentialsTypically certifications in sensor systems or related fields, sometimes associate degreesCertifications in radar systems, electronics, or technical degrees
Work EnvironmentControl rooms, field sites, or industrial settingsMaintenance facilities, technical labs, or field service locations
Employer & Industry UsageMilitary, aerospace, security, industrial sectorsDefense, aerospace, transportation, and military sectors
Common Search & ComparisonSensor OperatorRadar Technician

Sensor Operators and Radar Technicians both work with radar and sensor systems, often in similar industries like defense and aerospace. Sensor Operators focus on monitoring and operating sensor equipment, while Radar Technicians specialize in maintaining and repairing radar systems. Both roles require technical certifications and are vital for system performance, but their daily tasks and focus areas differ.

How does a Sensor Operator typically collaborate with other team members during a mission?

Sensor Operators work closely with pilots, mission commanders, and intelligence analysts to ensure accurate data collection and mission success. During operations, they communicate real-time findings, relay critical information, and adjust sensor settings based on team feedback. This role requires strong teamwork, adaptability, and clear communication, as decisions made by the Sensor Operator often impact mission outcomes and safety. Effective collaboration is key to interpreting data correctly and responding quickly to evolving mission scenarios.
What are the most commonly searched types of Sensor Operator jobs in California? The most popular types of Sensor Operator jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Sensor Operator jobs in California? For Sensor Operator jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Sensor Operator jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Sensor Operator jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Sensor Operator jobs? Cities in California with the most Sensor Operator job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Sensor Operator jobs in CA? For Sensor Operator jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Sensor Operator job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, and 20% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.
Senior Software Engineer, Sensor Integration with Security Clearance

Senior Software Engineer, Sensor Integration with Security Clearance

Anduril Industries

Irvine, CA • On-site

$191K - $253K/yr

Other

Posted 8 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 72,482 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 * The Counter Intrusion MSE team develops systems that provide force protection capabilities, monitoring the perimeter of secure areas, land or sea, for approaching people, vehicles, and vessels. We live in a world where security officers are increasingly overwhelmed by sensor data feeds. Our products leverage advanced sensor fusion and autonomy to seamlessly render activity in the environment to Lattice's common operating picture. This relieves operators of our system from a ton of burden and allows our customers to get more done with fewer personnel. Increasingly Counter Intrusion MSEs are working on projects to bring customers' existing legacy security systems into the Lattice ecosystem. Key to this effort is building scalable software solutions so that we can service many customers without requiring bespoke software for each one. The Counter Intrusion team is responsible for the development, testing, deployment, and sustainment of our family of systems. We work closely with other teams from product, engineering, sales, logistics, operations, and mission success. About The Job * We are looking for a Software Engineer to join our rapidly growing team in Irvine, CA. In this role, you will be responsible for solving a wide variety of problems involving networking, autonomy, systems integration, robotics, and more. You will ensure that Anduril products seamlessly work together to achieve a variety of critical outcomes. This will require making pragmatic engineering tradeoffs. If you are someone who is driven by a "Whatever It Takes" mindset - then this role is for you. What You'll Do * Own the software solutions that are deployed to customers * Write code to improve products and scale the mission capability to more customers * Write fast and functional code to perform sensor integration that is reliable and robust * Integrate sensor nodes into the larger Anduril software stack * Drive the vertical integration, and optimization of sensor system for a continually evolving product and application space; coordinating short to medium-term efforts across multiple hardware and software teams * Support existing product deployments in the field; identifying, diagnosing, and addressing P0 hardware and software issues * Partner with end-users to turn needs into features while balancing user experience with engineering constraints * Travel up to 15% of time to build, test, and deploy capabilities in the real world Required Qualifications * Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in areas/fields such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics. * Strong proficiency in writing software for sensor integration (C++ and Rust) * 3+ years of experience integrating, designing, developing on, or optimizing remote sensing systems. (Radar, Lidar, EO, IR, etc) * Experience building software solutions involving significant amounts of data processing and analysis * Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and established code bases * A desire to work on critical software that has a real-world impact * Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance 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 . * 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 . 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. 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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.


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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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