Staff DFx Engineer, Mechanical & Fluid Systems

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

Anduril's Air Dominance & Strike (AD&S) Manufacturing Engineering team is seeking a Staff DFx Engineer to serve as the technical authority on design for manufacturability, assembly, and cost across mechanical, structural, thermal management, and fluid systems subsystems.

Responsibilities:

• Own and drive DFx analysis across mechanical, structural, thermal, and fluid systems subsystems for AD&S programs, with a primary focus on manufacturability, assembly, and cost.
• Lead structured DFM/DFA/DFC reviews at key design milestones, applying rigorous scoring to identify producibility and cost risks and drive design changes before they reach production.
• Lead/facilitate DFMEAs with cross-functional teams.
• Work directly with SME manufacturing engineers and design engineers to evaluate designs, translate manufacturing constraints into actionable feedback, and negotiate design trades that balance performance, producibility, and cost.
• Assist in the selection and qualification of contract manufacturers for machined components, fabrications, composite structures, thermal management hardware, and fluid system assemblies.
• Conduct supplier manufacturing assessments including facility reviews, process audits, and capability evaluations to determine readiness for production qualification.
• Develop and maintain should-cost models and cost-driver analyses for mechanical and fluid system assemblies.
• Develop and maintain DFx standards, guidelines, and scorecards specific to mechanical manufacturing processes.
• Analyze designs across key lenses , manufacturability/assembly, cost structure, adherence to specification, process capability, and technology maturity , to produce quantified risk assessments that inform engineering and program decisions.
• Evaluate thermal management designs for manufacturability and cost-effective production at rate.
• Assess fuel, hydraulic, and pneumatic system designs for producibility.
• Partner with supply chain to align DFx requirements with sourcing strategy.
• Collaborate with quality engineering to ensure DFx findings flow into inspection plans, acceptance criteria, and supplier quality requirements.
• Close the loop between production floor feedback, supplier performance data, and upstream design improvements.
• Build and evolve the DFx toolkit.
• Mentor and develop junior and mid-level engineers on DFx principles, cost analysis techniques, and supplier assessment methods.
• Travel to production sites, contract manufacturers, and supplier facilities (~20%, depending on business needs).

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, producibility engineering, or DFx with a significant focus on mechanical systems, thermal management, or fluid systems.
• Strong technical depth in mechanical manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated experience leading DFM/DFA reviews and translating findings into measurable design improvements.
• Experience evaluating and qualifying contract manufacturers.
• Strong understanding of cost drivers in mechanical and fluid system production.
• Ability to read and critically evaluate mechanical drawings, GD&T, 3D models, and assembly documentation.
• Working knowledge of relevant standards and specifications for aerospace mechanical and fluid systems.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally across design engineering, manufacturing engineering, supply chain, quality, and operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working across multiple programs simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Personal experience in a machine shop, fabrication shop, or on a production floor working with mechanical hardware.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in engineering or a related field.
• Deep specialty expertise in two or more of: mechanical structures, thermal/heat transfer systems, fuel systems, hydraulic systems.
• Experience in aerospace or defense mechanical production.
• Familiarity with AS9100/AS9102 quality management systems.
• Experience with composite manufacturing.
• Proficiency in CAD software.
• Background in Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical process control, or Six Sigma.
• Experience with value engineering or formal cost reduction programs.
• Knowledge of fluid system cleanliness, proof/burst testing, and qualification requirements.
• Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance with Full-Scope Polygraph.