Operations engineer Jobs in Costa Mesa, CA

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

Anduril is seeking an Explosives Operations Engineer to join our Costa Mesa team. Our Explosives Engineering & Operations group drives innovation in warhead design, high-fidelity explosive modeling, and operational explosive safety. In this role you’ll partner with multiple product lines (Roadrunner, Bolt, Barracuda, Altius, Copperhead) to translate program and customer requirements into engineered solutions. You will influence design, testing, hazard analysis, and field support for systems deployed across land, sea, and air domains.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Plan, organize, develop, and lead explosives operations; support current and future products with explosives safety and applications experience; write, edit, and review explosive safety procedures and operating instructions and assure all personnel understand the procedures.
• Confirm explosive operations follow all DoD and ATFE regulations.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert, authority, and consultant to all levels of the organization on matters pertaining to explosives.
• Create, edit, and maintain internal explosive policy documentation; collaborate and partner with legal, operations, finance, program leads, business development, and engineering to support products with explosives.
• Oversee the explosives storage to include inventory, security, inspections, and forecasting.
• Sustain, maintain, and upgrade our explosive operations and training programs, to include compliance with applicable regulations, and customer requirements.
• Ensure training for explosive training is adequate, compliant, and current.
• Sporadic travel to austere environments for extended periods; create and deliver instruction to adult learners in the classroom and field environments.
• Interact positively with Anduril customers (USG and non-USG) and employees in austere environments.
• Prioritize and coordinate assignments and operational priorities with engineering teams; oftentimes test ranges, equipment, and personnel will have crossover between RDT&E and Manufacturing operations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 6 to 10 years or more experience in explosives applications and/or operations execution and supplier/contractor management accompanied by an understanding of explosives engineering, manufacturing, and testing.
• Understanding of and experience with the regulatory environment surrounding explosives and energetic materials; EH&S, licensing, compliance; experience with ATFE, OSHA, and DoD Explosive Safety regulations.
• Experience with developing standard operating procedures (SOPs), performing incident investigations, root cause analyses, and statistical process controls.
• Knowledge of direct 3rd party ecosystem; components manufacturers/suppliers, test ranges, logistics providers, etc.
• Understanding of the customer environment, needs, priorities, and CONOPs.
• Ability to travel as required up to 25-50%
• Must possess and maintain a U.S. Top Secret or Q security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• BS or higher degree in mechanical, aerospace, or another engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated success bringing new explosive capabilities to a company or product.
• Military EOD or equivalent Explosive Operations background.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification or detailed working knowledge.
• Active U.S. security clearance (DoD Secret or Top-Secret or DOE L or Q)
• Experience with munitions field testing.
• Leadership experience in explosive operations and/or handling munitions.
• Experience with the DoD Weapons Safety Boards.
• Experience teaching complex systems operations and safety protocols.

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.

To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit .