ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril's Air Dominance & Strike (AD&S) Manufacturing Engineering team is seeking a Prototype Manufacturing Engineer to execute first builds and prototype manufacturing across our mechanical, structural, thermal management, and fluid systems (fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics) subsystems. This role spans the full AD&S portfolio of autonomous aircraft, cruise missiles, and loitering munitions – and is designed for an engineer who thrives in ambiguity, builds hardware with incomplete inputs, and treats every first build as an opportunity to generate the manufacturing knowledge that makes future production possible.

As a Prototype ME, you are the first manufacturing engineer on a new build. You will work from incomplete design definitions – often without released drawings or established work instructions – to figure out how hardware goes together, build the first units, and document what you learn. Your output is not just a built prototype; it is the MVP work instructions, preliminary BOM structure, buildability feedback, and lessons learned that the DFx and SME teams use to drive producibility improvements and prepare for rate production. You are the bridge between a design engineer's intent and the physical reality of how something gets built for the first time.

This is a cross-program role. You will move between AD&S programs based on where first builds are happening, bringing a consistent methodology to new hardware regardless of the product line. You will work closely with design engineers, DFx engineers, SME manufacturing engineers, and production technicians. The pace is fast, the inputs are messy, and the expectation is that you bring order to chaos – one build at a time.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, prototype/development manufacturing, or NPI with hands-on involvement in building new hardware – not just sustaining existing production lines.
• Demonstrated experience executing first builds or first-article production of mechanical or electromechanical hardware with incomplete or evolving design inputs.
• Practical knowledge of mechanical manufacturing and assembly processes: CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, mechanical fastening, composite fabrication, tube bending/swaging, adhesive bonding, and mechanical integration.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, interpret GD&T, and work from 3D models – and the judgment to know when something in the model won't work on the shop floor.
• Experience writing work instructions, assembly procedures, or process documentation – you've captured a build process well enough that someone else could repeat it.
• Strong communication skills and a willingness to give direct, specific design feedback to design engineers. You are not just flagging problems – you are proposing solutions.
• Comfort working across multiple programs simultaneously, shifting between products as first-build needs arise.
• A genuine interest in building things and a drive to figure out how hardware goes together. Personal experience in a machine shop, fabrication shop, or working on hardware (machining, welding, assembly, personal projects) is a strong plus.
• Self-directed and resourceful – you don't wait for complete inputs or perfect information. You find what you need, make reasonable assumptions, and close the loop.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.