Manufacturing Engineer II, Barracuda

ABOUT THE SITE

Anduril, a leader in autonomous systems and weapons manufacturing, is building Arsenal-1, its first hyper-scale manufacturing facility, just south of Columbus, Ohio in Pickaway County. Arsenal-1 is redefining the scale and speed at which autonomous systems and weapons can be produced for the United States and its allies and partners. This is a monumental and essential step toward rebuilding America's defense industrial base, strengthening America's warfighting capabilities, and enhancing deterrence amid rising international threats.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

The future of defense is being built right now, and Anduril's Barracuda product is at its leading edge. Barracuda is a family of air-breathing autonomous air vehicles (AAVs) purpose-built for hyper-scale production and mass employment. The Barracuda family consists of Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250, and Barracuda-500. Each increment offers increasing size, range, and payload capacity, but all Barracudas are compatible with a host of payloads and employment mechanisms, support a variety of different missions, and provide warfighters with an adaptable and upgradeable capability to counter evolving threats.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Barracuda Launch Team (BLT) will set the standard for building the future at Arsenal-1, our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ashville, OH. As Barracuda transitions from low-rate initial production at Anduril HQ to high-rate manufacturing at Arsenal-1, this team will own the technology transfer, stand up production lines, and sustain the floor operations that make that ramp possible. You will have the opportunity to train under our world-class manufacturing team at Anduril HQ in Costa Mesa, CA for up to 2 months before bringing that standard of excellence back to Ohio.

ABOUT THE JOB

As a Manufacturing Engineer II, you will independently own manufacturing processes and sub-assemblies for Barracuda as production transfers from Anduril HQ and scales to high rate at Arsenal-1. You'll manage the full lifecycle of your area's build package — work instructions, MBOMs, process specs, and MES configuration — while driving line optimization and yield improvement on the floor. This role demands someone who can troubleshoot complex electromechanical integration issues in real time, own RCCA from identification through implementation, and translate production data into tangible process gains.

** This role requires relocation to Costa Mesa, CA for an initial training program of up to 2 months. Housing, transportation, etc. will be provided during your stay.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Execute the manufacturing of Barracuda products and sub-assemblies involving complex electromechanical integration from prototype through full-rate production, and own the complete build package for your area.
• Author and maintain all production documentation — work instructions, MBOMs, tooling and fixture specs, process specifications — ensuring they stay current as designs evolve and production scales.
• Drive line optimization in your area: analyze takt times, cycle times, and throughput data to identify bottlenecks and implement process changes that improve rate and efficiency.
• Root-cause and resolve floor issues using RCCA and 5-Why methodologies; own corrective actions through implementation and verify effectiveness via yield and quality data.
• Monitor and improve first-pass yield and defect rates; use statistical process control to identify variation and drive process stability.
• Manage MES transactions and configuration for your production area, ensuring accurate real-time traceability, work order management, and production reporting.
• Implement Lean and Six Sigma tools (5S, VSM, FMEA) in your production area; lead smaller kaizen events and standardize successful modifications across lines.
• Support technology transfer of Barracuda production processes from HQ to Arsenal-1, validating processes, tooling, and quality standards in the new facility.
• Diagnose complex equipment and tooling issues, configure and optimize parameters, and collaborate with vendors to resolve technical problems.
• Participate in design reviews to provide DFM input; collaborate with quality engineers to develop process control parameters that ensure product specifications.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians, building team capability in electromechanical assembly processes and manufacturing best practices.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 4+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware production environments.
• Degree in an engineering or technical field preferred, or equivalent hands-on manufacturing experience.
• Manufacturing engineering fundamentals: reading engineering drawings and GD&T, DFM, work instructions, tooling and fixtures.
• Hands-on experience with complex electromechanical integration — mechanical assembly, harness/cable routing, avionics, soldering, or similar.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing documentation systems (MBOMs, work instructions) and MES/ERP platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot production issues independently and drive RCCA to closure.
• Comfort with ambiguity, high-rate production environments, and delivering in a resource-constrained setting.
• A world-class quality and mission-assurance mindset, a genuine hunger to learn, and flexibility for critical pushes.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Manufacturing experience in aerospace, automotive/EV, industrial, or medical device environments.
• Harness and PCBA fabrication experience, including prior work with or setup/modification/monitoring of SMT processes.
• Experience with line balancing, takt time analysis, and production rate optimization.
• Hands-on experience with R/C and/or autonomous flight vehicles, flight controllers, or related control systems.
• Proficiency with CAD software for designing tooling, fixtures, and production layouts.
• Experience with SPC, yield analysis, and data-driven process improvement.
• Familiarity with J-STD-001, IPC-A-610, and IPC/WHMA-A-620.
• Current active U.S. Secret security clearance.