Open as of August 13, 2026

Director, Program Test & Evaluation Engineering - Advanced Effects

andurilindustriesCosta Mesa, California, United States

Job description

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 ROLE

This position is looking for a highly motivated Director of Test & Evaluation Engineering with emphasis in developmental test, with additional experience performing test lead/manager responsibilities. You will work heavily with the program leadership and a wide spectrum of cross-departments to help build and lead a team focused on solving hard problems and changing the industry forever. Anduril is a rapidly growing company, and the right person for this role should be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment with many competing priorities.

The Test and Evaluation team at Anduril works across the entire spectrum of products and business lines, as well as all flight operations and test range management. Our team conducts full system level development testing, new production acceptance testing, sub-component qualification testing and much more. In short, if it involves test, we support it. If you are interested in working in an extremely innovative and fast-paced environment, where your work directly makes an impact and difference in the products that are fielded, this is a fantastic opportunity.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Lead a diverse group of individuals, including test engineering and maintenance personnel across multiple UAS and weapon systems
Develop and execute company leadership directives, including creating unique T&E strategies for integration, planning, execution, and operations, with a focus on solving hard problems and changing the industry
Manage and guide the technical efforts of flight test engineers and control room personnel, providing direct input to test event planning, preparation, execution, and reporting
Oversee all test and integration efforts at the system and subsystem levels, ensuring projects are coordinated and test progress status is tracked/communicated
Interface with program leadership, and managing resource constraints
Directly contribute to periodic and milestone engineering reviews, facilitating technical discussions between Anduril and customer representatives, and support the Growth and Proposal team during contract shaping, capture, and expansion
Direct engineering activities, including team building, execution, process, and technical oversight strategies, to achieve program objectives and creative test and evaluation solutions
When required, plan, execute, and report on lab, ground, and flight tests, overseeing test data collection and performing initial data analysis
Work with FAA and Military certifying agencies to establish new test range COAs or requirements for testing on government-owned ranges, and conduct ground and flight testing at private and government-owned test ranges
Responsible for observing all laws, regulations, and applicable obligations wherever and whenever business is conducted on behalf of the Company, and work in a safe manner in accordance with established operating procedures and practices

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

A bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution, or equivalent engineering experience
12+ years of experience as a test conductor/director for developmental aircraft and payload integration, or 10+ years of experience as a lead test conductor/test director for developmental weapon or missile systems on manned and/or unmanned aircraft
Possess a complete understanding of engineering concepts, principles, codes, and theory, with broad application and expansive knowledge of related technical specialties
Demonstrate the ability to understand new concepts quickly, apply them accurately, organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases, and determine appropriate approaches to solve complex problems at the task or project level
Experience with surrogate booster motor integration
Strong understanding of vehicle, payload, and ground safety equipment requirements.
Familiarity with adjacent missile technology programs and funding opportunities.
Experience with system engineering or DoD program processes (EVM, MIL-STD-881, etc.).
Working knowledge of military standards (MIL-STD-8591, MIL-STD-2088, MIL-STD-1553, MIL-STD-1760, AS8775, AS5653, etc.).
Experience integrating and conducting tests with ground or ship-based launch systems, and with suspension, arming, and release equipment
Experience working with the Department of Defense (DoD), including knowledge of DCMA INST 8210, MIL-STD-516, and service-related T&E guiding documents, as well as foundational expertise in the National Airspace System and UAS operating rules
Experience with system engineering or Department of Defense (DoD) program processes (e.g., EVM, MIL-STD-881) and previous working knowledge of relevant MIL-STDs and AS standards
Experience integrating and conducting tests with suspension, arming, and release equipment, and familiarity with military missile system airworthiness certification standards and processes
Strong leadership skills with previous experience in leading a team and experience managing individuals or teams
Ability to travel as required for test planning and execution, and able to work extended hours as required
Must be able to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance
A "bias for action"—a drive to solve and fix problems

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Category 1:

A Master's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution, or equivalent engineering experience
15+ years of experience as a test conductor/director for developmental aircraft and payload integration, or 10+ years of experience as a lead test conductor/test director for developmental weapon or missile systems on manned and/or unmanned aircraft
Experience being part of the first flight of a developmental aircraft, Weapon or Rocket system.
Prior experience in ground and /or air launch weapon systems.
Prior experience in Supersonic / Hypersonic Vehicle design and propulsion system flight testing
Prior experience in solid or liquid rocket propellent engine/booster testing
Prior experience with software code/script building using languages such as Go, Java, C++, Python, JavaScript, etc., and experience with Linux-based systems and command line
Expertise in developing Flight Safety Systems (FSS) compliant with MRTFB, RCC, and FAA standards.
Knowledge of Flight Termination System (FTS) integration with range support and monitoring equipment.
Working knowledge with Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Small UAS autopilot and mission planning software
Experience working with manned aircraft personnel and familiarity with aviation terminology
Experience with weapon or tactical datalinks, and experience with multiple different propulsion systems
Previous experience working within a Combined Test Force or equivalent

Category 2, All items in category 1 plus:

Prior experience in Supersonic / Hypersonic Vehicle design and propulsion system flight testing
Integrating and testing multi stage rocket systems
Prior experience in sub orbital rocket launches
Prior experience testing high speed air breathing propulsion systems

US Salary Range

$220,000—$292,000 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:

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.

To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:

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 contact@anduril.com.
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 contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.

By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.