Senior Systems Engineer - Payload Module Lead

About the role

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 Job

Anduril is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead the design, integration, verification, and validation of a specific payload or weapon module for the Thunder platform. Directly lead, or provide technical direction to, a multidisciplinary team of 6 to 8 engineers spanning software, electrical, and mechanical and structural disciplines, and drive hands on technical execution from requirements through test, fielding, and sustainment.This is a high-visibility leadership position that directly dictates how versatile and mission-effective the aircraft platform will be in the field.

What You’ll Do

• Lead integration, verification, and validation of a specific weapon or payload module onto the Thunder platform
• Directly lead, or provide technical direction to, a team of 6 to 8 engineers across software, electrical, and mechanical and structural disciplines
• Develop program plans, estimates, and schedules for the module
• Develop system and architecture designs, perform system level analysis, and generate requirements for the module
• Troubleshoot conflicting design and development requirements
• Drive design and implementation of MIL STD 1553 and 1760 interfaces, structural mounts, and support installs (wiring, cooling, power) for the assigned module
• Own stores management system (SMS) and fire control logic specific to the module, including arm, select, and release state machines and safety interlocks
• Own safe separation analysis and testing for the module, covering trajectory clearance, jettison envelope, and captive carry and flight test support
• Run day to day agile execution for the team, including sprint planning, backlog management, and technical decision making
• Develop and maintain Interface Control Documents, Software Requirement Specifications, Performance Specifications, and review test plans and procedures
• Develop and present technical material for reviews and meetings
• Support lab, ground, and flight test events
• Coordinate with the Payloads Lead on cross module interface consistency and shared standards (MOSA/WOSA)
• Coordinate and interface directly with customers, contractors, and external payload and weapon supplier engineering teams on module specific integration issues
• Drive development of module specific test fixtures, bench setups, and SITL/HITL simulation environments
• Support ongoing operation of the fielded weapon system for the module
• Support proposals and white papers for future efforts or capabilities related to the module
• Provide hands on technical mentorship and direction to team engineers across disciplines
• Travel up to 25% to test sites and integration facilities

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in engineering, computer science, or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution, with progressive engineering experience as follows: nine or more years with a bachelor's degree, seven or more years with a master's degree, or five or more years with a PhD; equivalent engineering experience may substitute for education
• Software programming or embedded systems experience (familiarity with C++, MATLAB, Python, PERL scripting, etc.)
• Familiarity with air to air weapons, MIL STD 1553, and logical Interface Control Documents
• Experience integrating weapons, payloads, or avionics onto aircraft
• Experience with weapon or tactical datalinks
• Experience directly leading or technically directing a small multidisciplinary engineering team (software, electrical, mechanical)
• Experience designing or validating safety critical state machines and interlock logic (arm and fire sequencing, consent based release)
• Must be customer focused with the ability to formulate and implement plans to resolve technical engineering problems
• Ability to travel to support program and test events (up to 25 percent)
• U.S. Person status (citizenship or lawful permanent residency) required for ITAR and export controlled work
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct hands on experience integrating a named weapon system (for example Hellfire, Hydra 70), Air Launched Effects, or laser target designation systems
• Experience with weapon and store carriage structural design, including mounting, load analysis, and jettison and separation clearance
• Experience with safe separation analysis, captive carry testing, or flight test support for weapon release clearance
• Experience with stores management systems (SMS) or similar weapon interface controllers
• Familiarity with bus analyzers and test tooling for 1553/1760 (for example Astronics/Ballard, DDC)
• Experience on special mission unit or SOF platform weaponization and conversion programs
• Experience in NX/Teamcenter or Solidworks
• Experience designing mechanical parts and test equipment (CAD)
• Understanding of manufacturing methods (machining, sheet metal, composites, 3D printing, injection molding, composite lamination)
• Familiarity with MBSE tooling (SysML, Cameo, Jama, or similar)

Pay and benefits

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.

Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.

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• No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
• Please always verify communications:
• Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
• Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to.
• Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
• What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

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