Chief Engineer

Costa Mesa · Costa Mesa, CA (OC-00) · USD 253,000-336,000 · Full-time · Posted Oct 8, 2026

At a glance

You will lead the technical development and integration as Chief Engineer for a maritime product, from initial concept through delivery.
As a leader in the Maritime Division, you must be a technical leader with the expertise to evaluate, qualify, manage, and advocate for an increasing number of sophisticated parallel pursuits.

Support early architecture definition and scoping for a new product, defining the technical approach, key requirements, and prototype design
Support the build out of development timelines with associated milestones and staffing needs
Work directly with the product team (Product Manager, EPM, Lead Systems Engineer) to ensure tactical development is executed on plan
Accountable for technical decisions and developments on the AUV
Perform initial system trades and studies on key functions, such as energy storage, vehicle control, volume and mass budget creation, and payload capacity
Lead a new team within Anduril Maritime working on development and prototyping of a new platform; defining key performance parameters and requirements and supporting SRR, PDR, and CDR
Work closely with functional leads to drive common approaches for technical development and process
Responsible for root cause corrective action process as well as case-by-case execution and implementation
Technical point of contact for IRADs on AUV, consulting or delegating as required to appropriate leads
Identify opportunities for Division collaboration and commonality in design and processes

Deep understanding of ocean-going craft, systems engineering, product development, and overall engineering process
Experience in a senior role leading maritime programs from initial concept through test and delivery to customers
Strong understanding of the "why" behind vehicle and systems design
Experience working on mission-critical DoD systems
Proven history of delivery when presented with open-ended problems, balancing technical analysis with test and validation to move rapidly through new production design
Experience creating teams and focusing them around a common vision, leading by example and embodying high-ownership over the problem and the technical solution
Bachelor's degree in Marine, Mechanical, Electrical or Software engineering, or equivalent experience in a relevant field
Willingness to Travel 25% to customer and test sites
Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Competitive equity grants
Top-tier benefits for full-time employees
Comprehensive, competitive benefits package supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next