Manufacturing Engineer, Automation & Tooling, Space
Anduril · Costa Mesa, United States · 8d ago
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Anduril’s Space Manufacturing team is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer for Automation & Tooling to join our team. Your expertise will help ensure that our products meet the highest standards of quality and reliability at Anduril.
As the Manufacturing Engineer for Automation & Tooling, you will design and deliver the mechanical ground support equipment (MGSE), tooling and fixtures that our production lines are built around. Your responsibilities span the full tooling lifecycle, including design and structural analysis, specification and procurement against the facility schedule, qualification and proof load testing, semi-automated station design, and tooling sustainment. You are the specialist serving our cluster leads for Space Vehicle Integration, Sensors & Avionics, and Propulsion & Energetics — they define what they need to build, and you design the hardware that lets them build it. Our new world-class production facility, and the tooling and integration support equipment within it, must lead procurement and production by twelve to eighteen months; the decisions that determine whether the factory works are being made now.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Design mechanical ground support equipment and production tooling in CAD through to released drawings — handling, lift, rotation and transport fixtures, integration stands, and alignment and torque tooling.
- Own the tooling and MGSE procurement runway against the facility schedule — tooling list, long-lead items, specifications, vendor packages and delivery dates. Tooling that arrives after the station it serves is a schedule failure.
- Qualify tooling and MGSE before it touches flight hardware — load path analysis, proof load testing, lift certification, fit checks and first-article use — and own the records that make that qualification auditable.
- Design tooling and MGSE for cleanroom compatibility — material, coating, lubricant and surface-finish selection, and mechanical features that prevent particle generation and FOD. Design contamination out rather than relying on housekeeping to contain it.
- Design and deploy semi-automated assembly stations and mechanical automation where it removes touch labor or variability, with a defensible case for why automation is the right answer rather than a better fixture.
- Drive Design for Manufacturability and Assembly into vehicle and subassembly designs before CDR from the tooling point of view — tool clearance, access, lift and handling provisions, and hard points designed in rather than worked around.
- Use our manufacturing execution and product lifecycle toolchain — Foundry and Teamcenter — as the system of record for tooling definition, configuration control, calibration and maintenance status, and as-used records.
- Own tooling sustainment: calibration and maintenance intervals, spares, wear and damage disposition, and tooling changes driven by design changes or nonconformances. Cleanroom tooling adds precision cleaning, segregated tool sets and re-certification after maintenance.
- Partner with Supply Chain and Quality on tooling vendors — specifications, source inspection and first article expectations — and coordinate with the EGSE lead where mechanical and electrical ground support equipment meet.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 8+ years designing production tooling, fixtures or mechanical ground support equipment for aerospace, space, defense or another high-reliability industry.
- A portfolio of tooling or MGSE personally designed and saw through to released drawings, fabrication and use on the floor
- Strong CAD proficiency (NX, SolidWorks or CREO) with sound GD&T practice on tooling drawings.
- Structural sizing and load path analysis experience for handling and lift hardware, including proof load and lift certification requirements.
- Experience designing tooling or MGSE that operated inside a cleanroom, and can defend the material, coating and lubricant choices that made it acceptable. Familiarity with IEST-STD-CC1246 and ASTM E595.
- Experience specifying and procuring tooling or capital equipment through a supply chain — specifications, vendor selection, long-lead planning and acceptance — against a facility or program schedule.
- A quantified improvement delivered through tooling or automation — cycle time, ergonomic risk, defect rate or touch labor — that you can explain mechanically.
- Ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance
- Willingness to travel up to 25%
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years Tooling or MGSE for satellites, spacecraft or launch vehicles — flight hardware handling, transport and lift operations
- Experience outfitting a new production facility or line: tooling list from a clean sheet, long-lead procurement, install and commissioning.
- Semi-automated or automated assembly station design, including robotic or actuated handling, and the safety analysis that goes with it.
- Familiarity with lift and handling standards and space workmanship standards — ASME BTH-1 or B30 series, NASA-STD-8739 series, or equivalents.
- Scripting for design automation or production data analysis (Python, MATLAB, or CAD APIs).
- Currently possesses and is able to maintain an Active Secret clearance.
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.
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