Director, Manufacturing Engineering

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.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Manufacturing Engineering to lead and oversee manufacturing engineering activities and systems across our flagship factory (Arsenal-1) in Columbus, OH. This senior leader will support both the development of new products and the scaling of high-volume production.
You will be responsible for driving operational performance and engineering excellence, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and efficiency while scaling production to meet business growth objectives. Your leadership will guarantee that rigorous manufacturing processes are in place, resulting in the consistent delivery of superior quality products. This role demands an innovative and adaptable approach to solving complex manufacturing challenges, driving advancements in digital tools, DfM/DfA, and automation in a highly dynamic environment. The ideal candidate will be a results-oriented leader with deep expertise in lean manufacturing, process engineering, operational excellence, and team development.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a long-term manufacturing engineering strategy aligned with company goals.
• Drive innovation in manufacturing processes, automation, and technology adoption to enhance efficiency and scalability for both development and high-volume production.
• Architect the requirements and roadmaps for next-generation digital manufacturing tools to improve manufacturing design, analysis, and production efficiency.
• Build systems and processes to support the manufacturing design and production of classified products in compliance with security and regulatory requirements.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers and technical staff.
• Build and maintain an engaged, motivated workforce through strong leadership and communication.
• Promote a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

New Product Introduction (NPI) & Scalability

• Partner with R&D and product development teams to ensure seamless transition of new products from design to production.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DfM) and Design for Assembly (DfA) principles during product development, ensuring smooth scaling into production.

Resource Planning

• Manage budgets, resources, and staffing for the manufacturing engineering department.
• Forecast future operational and headcount needs to support scaling efforts for high-growth production environments.
• Plan for rapid response to large-scale program demands, including classified systems, with short ramp-up times.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical), Operations Management, Business, or a related field; Master’s degree or MBA strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering and operations with at least 7 years in senior leadership roles.
• Strong knowledge of automation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
• Experience in managing New Product Introduction (NPI) and scaling production for high-growth environments.
• Experience in developing, implementing, and utilizing digital manufacturing tools for design and analysis.
• Familiarity with quality systems and regulatory compliance (ISO, FDA, AS9100, etc.) preferred.
• Familiar with Product Life Cycle (PLM) systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Test Execution Systems (TES).
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication, and project management skills.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

US Salary Range

$190,000—$252,000 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:
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• 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.

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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.