Staff Development Engineer

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 TEAM
Enterprise Test Capabilities (ETC) develops, operates, and scales the shared physical test infrastructure, technical expertise, and execution systems required to validate Anduril's products across the company. The team provides specialized testing that is capital-intensive, technically complex, safety-critical, or broadly reusable across multiple programs, spanning environmental testing (thermal, vibration, shock, HALT, TVAC), battery testing (cell/module/pack characterization, abuse testing, BMS validation), propulsion testing (engine test cells, thrust/torque measurement, fuel/feed systems), aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel operations, flow visualization, force/moment measurement), and structural testing. We partner with product test teams from early development through qualification and sustainment to identify technical risk, select appropriate test methods, execute testing safely, and generate trusted engineering evidence. The test operations team within ETC owns the lab facilities, equipment fleet, calibration program, and operational support team that keeps this diverse test enterprise running.
Within ETC is the Internal Capabilities Development (ICD) team, which develops the equipment and test capabilities used by ETC and the broader product teams (Ground Systems, Maritime, Space, Air Dominance & Strike, and Drones). Over the last 3 years, ICD has built large-scale test equipment that has consistently beaten competitive build-vs-buy requests and timelines. We are the "tiger team" that enables Test & Evaluation (T&E) to move at a high pace. Our ground-up builds include Walk-In Thermal Chambers, shipping-container-sized static-fire test stands, Salt Fog chambers, Server Electrical & Heat Load Simulators, Modular Test Chambers, Sand & Dust chambers, and other environmental test equipment built to the MIL-STD-810H standard.
ABOUT THE JOB
We are seeking a Staff Development Engineer to join the Internal Capabilities Development (ICD) team within ETC in Costa Mesa, CA. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who can take a large-scale test capability from concept to commissioned hardware while building the team and processes that let ICD scale. You will design and build equipment to MIL-STD-810H requirements (thermal chambers, static-fire stands, load systems, environmental chambers, and more), owning the mechanical design, fabrication packages, structural and hydraulic considerations, electrical integration, and controls/DAQ that make these systems work.
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. You are equally comfortable producing a fabrication drawing package for our machine shop (or external shop) and working hands-on with laser cutting, waterjet, welding, and assembly on the floor. You will lead a small team of engineers, technicians, and interns (2–5 people), take ambiguous capability needs and run with them, and escalate only critical decisions. You will also bring structure to how ICD works by standardizing intake, design reviews, documentation, and build processes as the team grows.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Lead development of large-scale test capabilities from requirements and concept through overseeing fabrication, hands-on assembly work, commissioning equipment, 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 test methods
Produce fabrication-ready drawing packages (GD&T, weldments, sheet metal, machined parts) and work directly with our in-house machine/fabrication shop
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
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
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 the following: welding, cnc machining or 3D printing, and assembly
Ability to delegate to technicians and correct drawing callouts for machine shop to perform: welding, bending, laser cutting, waterjet, machining, and assembly
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 aero