Program Chief Engineer

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology.

The Air Defense team at Anduril builds autonomous robots that find other robots and knock them out of the sky. This team is the nexus of premier Anduril-built products such as Roadrunner, Sentry, Anvil, Pulsar, and Wisp integrated into a software-enabled Air Defense family of systems tailored to the modern battlespace.

As a Program Chief Engineer, you will have an opportunity for immediate impact on real-world operations. You will go deep to learn about gaps in existing defense capabilities, engage with users, synthesize feedback, and build the product infrastructure to support our goals.

Responsibilities:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders, external clients, and industry partners to gather insights, align objectives, and secure buy-in for strategic initiatives.
• Technical Ownership: Drive technical outcomes through meticulous understanding of system performance, drive product development through operational learnings and data, own the technical narrative from product deliver through continuous improvements.
• Tactical Execution: Bring clarity to the path between engineering development and operational delivery.
• Strategic Planning: Translate strategic business goals and program requirements into actionable project plans, setting clear milestones, and driving initiatives from conception through to successful completion.
• Execute Autonomously: Execute on broad and/or ambiguous requirements from external clients.
• Enable Cross Team Collaboration: Manage, unblock, and accelerate cross-team projects spanning multiple teams and initiatives.
• Shape Growth Opportunities: Support the drafting of technical proposals, ensuring that potential projects and scaling opportunities with each account are accurately scoped, resourced, and aligned with the organization's capabilities and strategic goals.

Requirements:

• Minimum of 5+ years experience as a Lead Engineer, Technical Program Manager, Technical Product Manager, or Engineer in an autonomous systems, robotics, or software development environment.
• Proven client-facing technical program management and/or systems engineering experience, preferably in the defense, national security, or aerospace domains.
• Strong background in systems engineering and architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex requirements, differentiate between rigid and flexible elements, and translate them into a robust, executable engineering framework.
• Ability to work with internal and external stakeholders, across a wide range of technical comfort.
• Experience with at least one of the following: Link 16, JITC Certification, or Cyber Certification (IATT/ATO) and Risk Management Framework (RMF).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Atlassian products (e.g., Jira, Confluence) for task tracking and robust program management support.
• Must be able to obtain a minimum Secret Clearance.
• Must be able to travel up to 25% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with specific fire control systems (e.g., AEGIS, TOC-L, THAAD).
• Strong technical, analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to use data and metrics to back up assumptions, recommendations and drive decisions.
• Ability to work within organizations with minimal structure and with minimal direction.
• Active U.S. government security clearance.
• Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering discipline.

Benefits:

• Healthcare Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.
• Income Protection: Anduril covers life and disability insurance for all employees.
• Generous time off: Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December.
• Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments, adoption, and gestational carriers, along with resources to support you and your partner from planning to parenting.
• Mental Health Resources: Access free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy and life coaching.
• Professional Development: Annual reimbursement for professional development.
• Commuter Benefits: Company-funded commuter benefits based on your region.
• Relocation Assistance: Available depending on role eligibility.
• Retirement Savings Plan: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after-tax options.