Director of Engineering, Rocket Motor Systems

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 TEAM Anduril’s Tactical Recon & Strike (TRS) Division is seeking a Director of Engineering to join our Rocket Motor Systems team. Anduril’s Tactical Recon & Strike (TRS) is a division with two missions: 1) build highly capable autonomous drones, and 2) build solid rocket motors at scale. We transform products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt, and Altius from early concepts into fully operational capabilities by partnering closely with specialist engineering, operations, and production teams. Through our Anduril Rocket Motor Systems (RMS) team, we design and manufacture solid rocket motors using advanced materials, proprietary formulations, and high-volume production methods—delivering safe, reliable propulsion systems that support a wide range of mission requirements. TRS hires software engineers & hardware engineers, who are excited to build across a diverse and powerful portfolio—from autonomous aerial systems to high-performance solid rocket motors. Our teams contribute to highly capable autonomous robotics systems and propulsion products that operate reliably in the most demanding mission environment. We work in close coordination with specialist teams to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers. ABOUT THE JOB As the Director of Engineering, your role is to provide strategic oversight and tactical management for our engineering teams. In this critical leadership position, you will be responsible for developing new rocket motor products and enabling the scaling of high-volume rocket motor production. You will ensure rigorous engineering development processes are in place, driving the consistent delivery of superior quality products. This role guarantees the fulfillment of manufacturing's capacity commitments while advancing digital tools and methodologies to improve design, analysis, and execution. Success in this role requires an innovative and adaptable approach to solving complex design and manufacturing challenges in a highly dynamic environment. WHAT YOU’LL DO Own the tactical execution of product development work, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality engineering products. Cultivate a proactive, responsive team culture emphasizing ownership, quality, and appropriate engineering rigor (balancing speed with precision). Set clear goals, objectives, and performance expectations for teams and individuals; conduct regular performance reviews and provide constructive feedback. Manage and prioritize team resource allocation to effectively support multiple product development programs, balancing competing priorities. Recruit, hire, and retain top-tier engineering talent, providing coaching, mentorship, and career development opportunities. Ensure alignment between product and technical roadmaps and overall business objectives. Establish and champion a Design Engineering Center of Excellence, driving the creation, documentation, and adoption of engineering best practices and processes across functional areas. Identify and advocate for new tools, technologies, and capabilities (e.g., advanced simulation software, novel test equipment, material characterization techniques) to support future product design needs. Establish and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure team effectiveness, responsiveness, and the impact of process improvements. Serve as the primary escalation point for technical roadblocks, resource conflicts, and complex interdisciplinary challenges. Be ultimately accountable for the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of all team deliverables, including design and analysis reports, test plans, material specifications, and technical recommendations. Ensure critical knowledge is captured and institutionalized by overseeing the documentation of design, analysis, test results, and material data to shorten future design cycles. Collaborate with the Director of Chief Engineering to communicate portfolio strategy, major product milestones, accomplishments, and significant risks to executive leadership. Build and maintain strong strategic partnerships with senior leaders in Program/Technical Program Management, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain for smooth, end-to-end product delivery. Proactively communicate the portfolio's execution status, resource constraints, and key successes to all stakeholders, ensuring alignment on priorities and deliverables. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Electrical Engineering (or related technical field). Proven experience (typically 8+ years) in engineering leadership and management roles, with a focus on end-to-end technical delivery. Demonstrated experience in developing and scaling complex hardware products, specifically rocket motors or similar high-volume, high-precision systems. Strong background in establishing and optimizing rigorous engineering development processes, quality assurance, configuration management, and V&V strategies. Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of building, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing engineering teams. Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and project management, and stakeholder management skills. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with an innovative and adaptable ap