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Salary: USD 254,000 - 336,000 / annual
Anduril Industries is seeking a Director of Advanced Design to lead conceptual design efforts for Group 5 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and advanced missile platforms within the Air Dominance & Strike hardware engineering organization.
In this role, you will direct the end-to-end conceptual design process for UAV and missile platforms, encompassing mission analysis, configuration trade studies, requirements development, and architecture selection. You'll serve as a technical expert for early-phase pursuits, shaping concept white-papers, customer proposals, and technology roadmaps in partnership with the chief engineering team.
Key responsibilities include collaborating with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment between technical feasibility, affordability, and customer mission needs; supporting direct customer interactions to translate mission requirements into design concepts; and acting as a senior technical decision-maker who applies engineering intuition and prior experience to ensure effective design paths and avoid costly development missteps. You'll partner with Chief Engineers and product teams to align engineering execution with broader mission and capability goals, and stay at the forefront of emerging aerospace technologies and threats to incorporate disruptive innovations into early-stage designs.
Required qualifications include 10+ years of experience in conceptual or preliminary design of aerospace systems with technical leadership roles on Group 5 UAS, similar class aircraft, or advanced missile systems. You must demonstrate expertise in at least one core aerospace hardware discipline (aerodynamics, structures, propulsion integration, or electrical systems), possess deep understanding of system architecture and full product lifecycle development, and have proven experience leading high-performance engineering teams in fast-paced, cross-functional environments. Strong communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills are essential.
Preferred qualifications include an advanced degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering; experience with rapid prototyping and iterative development; and hands-on experience with advanced design tools, simulation, and test equipment.
