Chief Engineer, Advanced Air Vehicle Architect

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 The Air Dominance and Strike (AD&S) Chief Engineering Team is a driving force behind the technical execution and strategic vision of our most critical programs. They are responsible for architecting a vision for product development and guiding multi-disciplinary teams to deliver effectively. They are expected to own the mission and to be deeply involved in building the eco-system that enables execution. WHAT YOU’LL DO As our Chief Air Vehicle Architect, you will be the senior technical authority for conceptual design, applied S&T, and experimental development of advanced flight platforms. You will be highly creative, deeply understand customer needs, and personally drive technical execution through modeling, experimentation, build, and test of these air systems.   Concept Creation & Applied Science Lead early conceptual design of entire advanced air vehicle platforms: configuration exploration, trade studies, and performance modeling. Apply first-principles thinking across air vehicle engineering: aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, flight controls, GNC, low observables, autonomy, and mission systems to evaluate concepts. Identify and mature key scientific and technical breakthroughs for new operational capability through novel air vehicle designs. Balance creativity with engineering realism, ensuring executable technology paths for complete air vehicle solutions. Systems Architecture & Integration Define holistic system architectures integrating air vehicle design, mission systems, autonomy, and manufacturing from the outset. Lead cross-disciplinary trade studies and modeling to understand interactions, sensitivities, and failure modes across the entire flight system. Guide concepts from exploration to prototype-ready air vehicle designs. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related technical field (advanced degree preferred). 10+ years direct experience in conceptual design, architecture, or advanced development of complete air vehicle platforms. Demonstrated experience leading conceptual design and early-phase system architecture for full aircraft or complex flight systems. Strong systems-level thinking across all air vehicle engineering domains. Hands-on experience with real flight hardware, experimentation, or test activities. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Prior experience with DOW technology development organizations (e.g., DARPA, AFRL) on advanced flight programs. Experience transitioning entire flight systems from early research through prototype and operational demonstration. Background in experimental or flight test environments, including test planning and execution for novel air vehicles. Experience working on advanced or classified air vehicle platforms, including low-observable or signature-constrained designs. Deep technical expertise in multiple core air vehicle domains (e.g., aerodynamics, flight controls, GNC, propulsion, structures, aircraft integration). Demonstrated ability to thrive in fast-paced, non-traditional aerospace environments. Currently obtains a Top Secret level clearance or higher   US Salary Range $254,000 — $336,000 USD 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:   Healthcare Benefits  US Roles:  Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.   UK & AUS Roles:  We cover full cost of medical insurance premiums for you and your dependents.   IE Roles: We offer an annual contribution toward your private health insurance for you and your dependents.   Additional Benefits   Income Protection : Anduril covers life and disability insuranc