Director of Manufacturing Engineering, Imaging

Anduril Industries · Waltham, Massachusetts · $220,000-$292,000 USD · onsite Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. As the Director of Manufacturing Engineering, your role encompasses the strategic oversight and tactical management of manufacturing engineering and systems to support both the development of new products and the scaling of high-volume production in Waltham, MA. You are charged with ensuring rigorous manufacturing processes are in place, resulting in the consistent delivery of superior quality products to our customers. Your leadership will also guarantee the fulfillment of manufacturing's capacity commitments while driving advancements in digital tools and methodologies to improve design, analysis, and execution. This role demands an innovative and adaptable approach to solving complex manufacturing challenges in a highly dynamic environment. Responsibilities Build & Lead the Manufacturing Engineering Team: Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of manufacturing engineers and technical staff. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across the organization. Drive Manufacturing Strategy & Technology: Develop and implement a long-term manufacturing engineering strategy aligned with Anduril Imaging's growth objectives. Drive adoption of automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, and digital manufacturing tools to enhance efficiency and scalability across development and high-volume production. Lead New Product Introduction (NPI): Partner with R&D and product development teams to ensure seamless transition of new products from design to production. Champion Design for Manufacturability (DfM) and Design for Assembly (DfA) principles early in the development cycle to de-risk production scaling. Scale Production Capability: Evaluate, plan, and prioritize supply chain, production, and test optimizations to ensure the value stream can reliably meet production output goals. Develop business cases for vertical integration or supplier diversification where strategic partnerships will accelerate scalability. Drive Continuous Improvement & Complexity Reduction: Lead initiatives to improve yield, reduce cycle time, and lower cost across the manufacturing value chain. Drive commonality optimization, component and supplier rationalization, and process standardization to simplify production at scale. Resource & Budget Management: Manage budgets, staffing, and capital equipment planning for the manufacturing engineering organization. Forecast headcount and operational needs to support rapid scaling, including classified production environments. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field; Master's degree or MBA preferred. 12+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering and operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing manufacturing engineering teams. Demonstrated experience owning manufacturing value chains for complex electro-mechanical or imaging hardware , defense, aerospace, or adjacent industries strongly preferred. Strong background in make-vs-buy analysis, contract manufacturer management, and supplier development for precision hardware. Experience managing NPI and scaling production in high-growth environments with condensed timelines. Familiarity with optical system integration and test, precision assembly, or imaging hardware manufacturing. Knowledge of automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, and digital manufacturing tools. Familiarity with quality systems (ISO 9001/AS9100) and PLM, MES, and ERP systems. Hands-on experience physically manufacturing hardware (assembly, soldering, machining, fabrication, etc.). Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. Eligible to obtain and maintain an