UAV Operator, Maneuver Dominance

Company: Anduril Industries
Location: Costa Mesa
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

ABOUT THE ROLE As a member of the Maneuver Dominance Technical Operations team, you will serve as a bridge between product engineering and deployed operations for autonomy enabled UAVs. You will practice extreme ownership of all dependencies to ensure that Anduril’s growing suite of capabilities achieve total mission success in austere, remote environments. To this end, you will be embedded within an air vehicle development program where you will leverage your operations and technical expertise to shape and deploy a solution of maximum effectiveness and reliability. Your scope will include standing up forward-deployed operations in austere environments, ensuring the successful combat employment of Anduril products, and shaping the long-term sustainment of these products. In addition, you will be a core participant in supporting the development of vehicle autonomy by supporting test events and customer demonstrations closer to home. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Extensive hands-on (field operations, manufacturing, or test) technical experience Prior military or defense contractor experience as a manned or unmanned pilot/operator, Network technician, or Crew Chief/maintainer (Avionics, GNC, Electrical) Demonstrated understanding of flight operations, aircraft systems, and sensors Demonstrated ability to solve problems in unstructured situations at the interface of hardware, software, and operations in pursuit of mission success Experience working with cross-functional engineering teams and external customers; demonstrated ability to collect differing opinions and reconcile them in order to achieve agreement on what ‘right’ looks like Experience performing data-driven root cause analysis on complex systems using logs as a source of truth Intermediate to advanced understanding and experience for some or all of the following: - Computers; comfortable in a terminal environment, server management, developing or interacting with programming languages (e.g. Python, Rust, MATLAB) - IP Networking; Network Administration or Design, strong troubleshooting experience required - Radios; MANET, SATCOM, Backhual systems Demonstrated ability to train peers or customers on the operation of a product Must have prior, operationally relevant, deployment experience Willingness to travel up to 80% including occasional deployments for up to two months at a time Able to work extended hours as required Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S.Top Secret security clearance Able to meet health and medical requirements in advance of deployments in accordance with DFARS 252.225-7040 , DoDI 3020.41, and/or any additional requirements outlined by region or supporting force, as applicable. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering or related discipline Hands-on professional experience working with developmental weapon or missile systems on manned and/or unmanned aircraft Experience with one or more of: - Autonomy; Behavior Trees, CV models, multi-vehicle operation - Ground-based air defense systems, either sensors or effectors - Operations and maintenance of air breathing propulsion systems - Aircraft or launch vehicle flight line operations - Munitions storage and handling controls US Salary Range $113,000 - $149,000 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 insurance for all employees. Generous time off : Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December. Caregiver & Wellness Leave is available to care for family members, bond with a new baby, or address your own medical needs. Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments (e.g., IVF, preservation), 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. Additional work-life services, such as legal and financial support, are also available. 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 US Roles: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after-tax (mega backdoor Roth) options. UK & IE Roles: Pension plan with employer match. AUS Roles: Superannuation plan. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. 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/ .

Keywords: Anduril Industries, El Cajon , UAV Operator, Maneuver Dominance, Engineering , Costa Mesa, California