SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, is seeking a Program Chief Engineer to join its Air Defense team in Irvine, California. The Air Defense team builds autonomous systems including Roadrunner, Sentry, Anvil, Pulsar, and Wisp—networked sensors and effectors designed to detect and neutralize unmanned aerial systems threats in modern battlespace scenarios.
In this role, you will serve as the technical leader and primary liaison between Anduril's engineering organization and external clients. You will own the technical strategy and execution of an Air Defense program, translating strategic business goals and client requirements into actionable technical roadmaps and project plans.
Key responsibilities include:
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build relationships with internal teams, external clients, and industry partners. Act as the primary technical liaison, advocate for client needs within engineering, and ensure feedback influences the product roadmap. Communicate software releases, new capabilities, and performance improvements.
• Technical Ownership: Drive technical outcomes through deep understanding of system performance. Own the technical narrative from product delivery through continuous improvements. Credibly represent systems to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Tactical Execution: Clarify the path between engineering development and operational delivery. Guide sprint planning, support test events, remove blockers, and lead fast-paced execution to deliver optimal outcomes.
• Strategic Planning: Translate business goals into actionable plans with clear milestones. Oversee resource allocation (personnel, budget) and drive initiatives from conception through completion, using data to inform decisions.
• Autonomous Execution: Execute on broad, ambiguous requirements from external clients. Shape requirements to optimize for both client and company. Demonstrate high ownership across all work.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Manage and accelerate cross-functional projects spanning hardware, software, test, and field operations teams.
• Growth Opportunities: Support technical proposals, ensure accurate scoping and resourcing, and align technical roadmaps with strategic vision.
Required qualifications include 4+ years in a Chief Engineer, Technical Program Manager, Technical Product Manager, Engineering Manager, or Engineer role in autonomous systems, robotics, or software development. Proven client-facing technical program management and/or systems engineering experience in defense, national security, or aerospace is preferred. Strong familiarity with robotics, sensor integrations, or computer vision systems is valuable. You should have demonstrated experience leading technical teams to field hardware or software products in real operating environments.
