SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 191,000 - 253,000 / annual
Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, is seeking a Lead Air Vehicle Engineer to join the Maneuver Dominance team at their Costa Mesa headquarters. This role focuses on leading the development of advanced unmanned rotorcraft platforms, integrating mission autonomy capabilities, and driving innovation in vertical flight systems.
You will execute rapid evaluation of engineering concepts across aerospace disciplines, perform trade studies and physics-based analysis on complex problems, and lead advanced design and configuration of highly complex air vehicles. Key responsibilities include leading design reviews, running analysis, interfacing with vendors, defining and executing hardware test plans, building prototypes, analyzing failures, and transitioning successful projects into production. You'll operate with extreme visibility and professional autonomy, supporting critical software and hardware demonstrations with customers as needed.
The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of technical leadership experience in roles such as Technical Program Manager, Chief Engineer, or Lead Engineer within aerospace or defense sectors. You must have deep experience developing VTOL platforms, broad exposure to aircraft concepts, design layouts, static stability, control architectures, and propulsion concepts. Strong project management skills using tools like JIRA and Confluence, knowledge of Agile and Waterfall methodologies, and hands-on experience with autonomous systems development—particularly rotorcraft or large UAS—are essential.
You will demonstrate exceptional ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams, foster collaborative environments, and manage complex stakeholder relationships. Knowledge of aircraft design principles, vertical lift systems, aircraft build and integration, and flight test execution is required. Candidates must be eligible to obtain a U.S. Secret security clearance and able to travel up to 50% depending on product lifecycle. A bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Physics, or related technical discipline is required.
