ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Manufacturing Engineer supporting Thermal Protection Systems on the High-Speed Missiles team, you will be at the absolute bleeding edge of aerospace and defense technology. Hypersonic flight-sustained travel at speeds of Mach 5 and beyond-represents one of the most demanding engineering challenges of our time. To survive these extreme environments, our vehicles must withstand intense thermal, aerodynamic, and structural forces.

Historically, hypersonic systems have been built like low-volume, bespoke science projects. At Anduril, we are changing that. Your mission is to bridge the gap between cutting-edge physics and high-rate industrial output. You will be the bridge between design and production, transforming highly complex, next-generation hypersonic vehicles into manufacturable, repeatable, and scalable products.
This is a high-impact, high-ownership role. You will not just be maintaining a pre-existing assembly line; you will be architecting the future of hypersonic production from the ground up.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the Production Line: Design, commission, and continuously optimize the assembly lines, work cells, and floor layouts for our hypersonic missile programs.
• Bridge Design and Manufacturing: Collaborate intimately with design engineers during the early development phases to drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), ensuring the vehicle is optimized for high-rate production.
• Pioneer Advanced Processes: Develop and scale manufacturing processes for exotic materials, advanced composite structures, thermal protection systems (TPS), and high-performance propulsion integration (such as rocket motors and air-breathing engines).
• Design Tooling & Equipment: Architect, procure, and qualify custom assembly tooling, fixtures, and automated assembly equipment to increase throughput and quality.
• Drive From Prototype to Rate: Lead the transition of hardware from first-article prototyping through Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and into mature, high-rate manufacturing.
• Solve Complex Shop-Floor Challenges: Act as the first line of defense for the manufacturing floor, rapidly troubleshooting and resolving complex engineering and production anomalies.
• Author Technical Standards: Create and maintain work instructions, manufacturing bills of materials (MBOMs), routing, and quality documentation.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Educational Background: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related STEM discipline.
• TPS Materials Expertise: Hands-on experience working with High-Temperature Materials (e.g., Carbon-Carbon, Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), ablatives, or high-temperature insulation/tiles).
• Material Qualification: Direct experience leading or supporting the qualification of aerospace-grade materials, including defining test plans (thermal, mechanical, and environmental testing) and executing to aerospace/defense standards.
• Manufacturing Process Development: Experience developing, scaling, and documenting manufacturing processes for TPS components (e.g., layup, curing, pyrolysis, densification, machining, or bonding/integration).
• Travel: Willingness to travel periodically (
• U.S. Person Status: Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
• Clearance Status: Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Security clearance.
• YoE: 8+ years of experience working in manufacturing or related field

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Hypersonic / Re-entry Experience: Prior experience specifically working on hypersonic flight vehicles, re-entry vehicles, rocket nozzles, or space capsule thermal shields.
• High-Temperature Characterization: Familiarity with high-temperature material testing methods (e.g., arc-jet testing, oxy-acetylene torch testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), or laser-heating tests).
• Advanced Bonding & Assembly: Deep understanding of high-temperature adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and integration techniques used to attach TPS to metallic or composite airframe structures.
• Vendor & Supply Chain Management: Experience working with external material suppliers and test facilities to source, qualify, and scale raw materials and specialized manufacturing processes.
• Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE): Familiarity with NDE methods used for composite/TPS inspection, such as ultrasound, thermography, or X-ray/CT scanning.

US Salary Range

$146,000-$194,000 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.