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Salary: USD 166,000 - 220,000 / annual
Anduril Industries is seeking a Staff Development Engineer to join the Internal Capabilities Development (ICD) team within Enterprise Test Capabilities (ETC) in Costa Mesa, CA. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who can take large-scale test capabilities from concept to commissioned hardware while building the team and processes that enable ICD to scale.
You will design and build equipment to MIL-STD-810H requirements, including thermal chambers, static-fire stands, load systems, and environmental chambers. You will own mechanical design, fabrication packages, structural and hydraulic considerations, electrical integration, and controls/data acquisition systems. This role is primarily mechanical, though strong candidates from electrical or aerospace backgrounds with solid mechanical design, machining, assembly, and fabrication fundamentals will be considered.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead development of large-scale test capabilities from requirements and concept through fabrication oversight, hands-on assembly, commissioning, and handoff to development teams
- Own mechanical design and CAD for custom test equipment, including structural, thermal/environmental, and hydraulic/pneumatic subsystems designed to MIL-STD-810H standards
- Produce fabrication-ready drawing packages (GD&T, weldments, sheet metal, machined parts) and work directly with in-house machine/fabrication shops
- Personally perform and oversee fabrication work, including laser cutting, waterjet, welding, machining, and assembly
- Lead, mentor, and set technical direction for a team of 2–5 engineers, technicians, and interns
- Triage incoming capability requests, set priorities, and escalate only critical decisions to leadership
- Establish and standardize ICD processes, including request intake, design reviews, build procedures, documentation, and handoff criteria
- Oversee integration of PLC controls, LabVIEW/NI DAQ, instrumentation, and electrical enclosures across builds
- Lead build-vs-buy assessments and make the case for internal builds where ICD can beat vendor cost and timeline
- Partner with ETC and product teams as the capability-development subject matter expert, and support design and test readiness reviews on feasibility, risk, and safety
- Drive safety culture across lab and build spaces, and ensure proper maintenance of capital equipment
- Travel to test sites and remote labs as needed to support builds, field testing, or capability standup
You are equally comfortable producing fabrication drawing packages for machine shops and working hands-on with tools and equipment on the floor. You will take ambiguous capability needs and run with them, escalating only critical decisions. You will also bring structure to how ICD works by standardizing processes as the team grows.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (Electrical or Aerospace Engineering also considered)
- 8+ years of hands-on experience designing and building test equipment or complex electromechanical systems
- 2+ years leading or mentoring engineers or technicians (formal or informal), ideally teams of 2–5
- Expert mechanical design and CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, NX, or equivalent), including fabrication drawings and GD&T
- Basic hands-on fabrication experience, including any of: welding, CNC machining, 3D printing, and assembly; ability to delegate to technicians and correct drawing callouts for machine shop work
- Experience designing and integrating hydraulic and/or pneumatic systems
- Working knowledge of PLC controls, NI DAQ/LabVIEW, electrical enclosures, and instrumentation, sufficient to design, integrate, and direct others
- Demonstrated ability to own ambiguous problems end-to-end and deliver working hardware with minimal oversight
- Experience establishing or improving engineering processes in a fast-paced, high-mix environment
- Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience building large-scale environmental test equipment to MIL-STD-810H (thermal, salt fog, sand & dust, vibration, etc.)
- Experience with static-fire stands, dynamometers, or thrust/torque measurement systems
- Pressure-vessel design or testing experience (ASME BPVC, proof/burst)
- Structural analysis/FEA experience for test fixtures and load frames
- Closed-loop servo-hydraulic control experience (MTS, Instron, or equivalent)
- HMI or SCADA development for custom equipment
- Measurement uncertainty analysis and GR&R experience
- Experience with defense or aerospace test programs
