--- title: 'AI Systems Engineer at Anduril Industries' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/ai-systems-engineer-anduril-industries-santa-ana-california-w1627pyxfns0' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-26' --- # AI Systems Engineer at Anduril Industries - **Company:** Anduril Industries - **Location:** Santa Ana California, United States - **Compensation:** $191k–$253k - **Posted:** 2026-08-28 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-26 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/andurilindustries/jobs/5225164007?gh_jid=5225164007 ## Job description 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. ## Team Overview Anduril’s Technical Publications organization supports complex hardware, software, autonomy, and defense systems across multiple divisions, business lines, and programs. The Product Manager, Technical Writing Systems, owns the authoring and publishing platform. This role builds the AI systems that extend that platform so the documentation pipeline handles more work at lower cost and lower latency. ## Role Specifics As the Applied LLM Systems Engineer, your mission is to design, build, and operate production AI systems that improve how technical documentation is created, transformed, validated, maintained, and delivered. You will build and maintain AI-assisted authoring, automated publishing, and multi-agent coordination tooling for the Technical Publications pipeline. This is not a prompt-writing role. It is a systems-engineering role for someone who has already delivered production AI systems, understands evaluation and rollback, and knows how to make probabilistic systems useful in enterprise environments with structured content, strict review requirements, security boundaries, and real operational consequences. The right candidate can expand system capability while managing token usage, context efficiency, and cost at scale. ## What You’ll Do - Build production-grade LLM applications for documentation and knowledge-work workflows. - Design orchestration for multi-step workflows that coordinate models, tools, and deterministic services safely. - Optimize context management, token usage, caching, and workflow design for cost, latency, and task success. - Build retrieval, structured-output, and tool-integrated systems that safely interact with enterprise content, source control, issue tracking, and documentation systems. - Design evaluation frameworks and regression testing for prompts, models, tools, retrieval pipelines, and end-to-end workflows. - Establish observability, auditability, rollback, and safe failure modes for AI-assisted workflows. - Work directly with technical writers, illustrators, engineers, and documentation leadership to identify the highest-value places to apply AI and where human judgment should remain primary. - Preserve provenance between source material, generated output, validation results, and human decisions so outputs remain reviewable, correctable, and attributable. Required Qualifications - Ability to work on-site in Santa Ana, CA. - 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, including building and operating production services. - Direct experience delivering at least one production AI system with measurable adoption by its intended users. - Experience optimizing cost, latency, and context usage in production LLM or workflow systems. - Experience designing evaluation, observability, rollback, and failure-handling for nondeterministic systems. - Strong proficiency in Python and modern API, data, and service-development practices, including software architecture, security boundaries, identity and access management, and data protection. - Sound judgment about where probabilistic AI is appropriate and where deterministic software or human review is required. - Must be eligible for Secret and higher security clearance (US). - In this role, you will be subject to pre-employment and randomized substance screening, as required by the Company. ## Preferred Qualifications - Experience designing multi-step orchestration or coordination systems across models, tools, and deterministic services. - Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, structured outputs, tool calling, or other production LLM workflow patterns. - Experience integrating AI capabilities into desktop or enterprise applications with limited native APIs. - Experience in defense, aerospace, manufacturing, robotics, autonomy, aviation, or another regulated environment. - Familiarity with technical documentation, structured authoring, content management, or comparable documentation-heavy workflows. - Familiarity with S1000D, DITA, MIL-STD-40051, or comparable documentation frameworks. - Experience with containerized services, cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, queues, event-driven architectures, or production monitoring. US Salary Range $191,000—$253,000 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: ## Benefits At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, [Explore Our Benefits](https://www.anduril.com/careers). Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information. To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind: - No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates. - Please always verify communications: - Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address. - Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com. - Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links. - What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts. Data Privacy To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/. By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security. ## About Anduril Industries ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: A military technology company developing AI-powered autonomous systems and software for defense and national security. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series H) - **Headquarters**: Costa Mesa, California, USA - **Founded**: 2017 - **Founders**: Palmer Luckey, Trae Stephens, Matt Grimm, Joe Chen, Brian Schimpf ## Core Business - Primary industry: Defense, aerospace, artificial intelligence, robotics - Target customers: Primarily B2G – U.S. Department of Defense, allied governments (e.g., UK, UAE), and border security agencies (e.g., CBP) - Mission/purpose: To accelerate the adoption of advanced technology in defense, with a focus on autonomous systems, AI-driven decision-making, and rapid production at scale. ## Products & Services - **[Lattice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_Industries#Lattice)**: AI-powered software platform that fuses sensor data from multiple sources (Anduril and third-party) to detect, identify, and track objects in real time. Core to all Anduril systems. - **[Sentry Tower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_Industries#Sentry_Tower)**: Autonomous, solar-powered surveillance tower (33ft) with cameras, radar, thermal imaging, and comms – used for border security and military base protection. - **[Ghost](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_Industries#Ghost)**: Small, portable unmanned aerial system (UAS) for reconnaissance and surveillance; used by U.S. Marines and other forces. - **Altius Family**: Tube-launched, fixed-wing UAVs (e.g., Altius 600, Altius 700M) that can be deployed from aircraft, ground vehicles, or larger UAVs. - **Fury (YFQ-44A)**: Semi-autonomous collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) developed for the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program; first flight in October 2025. - **IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System)**: Anduril took over development from Microsoft in 2025; a heads-up display/goggle system for ground soldiers. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: $61 billion (Series H, May 2026) – [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_Industries) - **Annual Revenue**: $2 billion (2025) – [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_Industries) - **Total Funding**: ~$12.7 billion (across all rounds, including $5B raise in May 2026) – [robotics.press](https://robotics.press/news/anduril-deep-dive/) - **Notable Investors**: Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive Capital, 8VC, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, Valor Equity Partners, D1 Capital Partners, Sands Capital - **Notable Customers/Partners**: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), UK Home Office, Royal Navy, Edge Group (UAE), OpenAI - **Growth Signals**: - Raised $5B in May 2026 at a $61B valuation, up from $14B in August 2024 - Constructing Arsenal-1, a $1B hyperscale manufacturing facility in Ohio, with partnerships from Ohio State University - Acquired multiple companies between 2021-2026 (Area-I, Adranos, Blue Force Technologies, Numerica, Klas, ExoAnalytic Solutions, etc.) - Won contracts for CCA development (Air Force), robotic combat vehicle software (Army), and CBP border surveillance - Took over IVAS program from Microsoft (2025) - Employees grew from ~90 in 2017 to 7,000 in 2026 ## Competitive Advantages - **Vertically integrated**: Designs, manufactures, and operates its own hardware (drones, towers, missiles) and software (Lattice), enabling rapid iteration. - **AI-first approach**: Lattice provides a common operating picture across domains, reducing decision latency in combat scenarios. - **Speed of production**: Arsenal projects aim to produce advanced autonomous systems faster than traditional defense primes. - **Government trust**: Deep relationships with DoD and allied agencies, demonstrated by multi-million-dollar contracts and classified work. - **In-person, security-focused culture**: Proximity to military bases, industrial equipment, and classified contract requirements create a unique operational moat. ## Strategic Focus - **Hyperscale manufacturing**: Build Arsenal-1 (Ohio) and subsequent “Arsenal” facilities to manufacture autonomous weapons at near-peer-competitive speed. - **Space domain**: Acquired ExoAnalytic Solutions (March 2026) to expand into space-based intelligence and surveillance. - **Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)**: Fury is a key program; competing for Air Force’s CCA Increment 1. - **International expansion**: Partnership with UAE’s Edge Group; sales to UK (Royal Navy, Home Office); plans to serve other Five Eyes and allied nations. - **AI integration**: Partnership with OpenAI to enhance defense systems; Lattice already used by Space Force for surveillance networks. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven work**: Direct impact on national security and defense technology – opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI, robotics, and autonomous systems. - **Culture**: Emphasizes in-person collaboration due to security requirements, industrial equipment, and classified programs. Offices include Costa Mesa (HQ), Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Washington D.C., London, and Sydney. - **Growth trajectory**: Company has grown from 90 employees to 7,000 in ~9 years; significant investment in new facilities and acquisitions indicates continued expansion. - **Engineering focus**: Heavy investment in software, AI, hardware, and manufacturing engineering – roles span from software engineers to aerospace engineers to production specialists. - **Notable perks/benefits**: Not detailed in public sources, but the company offers competitive compensation in a high-stakes, high-impact environment. The Ohio Arsenal-1 facility will employ many from Ohio State University’s applied science programs. ## Sources 1. [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_Industries) – Wikipedia: Anduril Industries (key facts, revenue, employee count, product details, funding, acquisitions) 2. [tracxn.com](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/anduril/__qqOI0HKR47lFXorj9FAQlDfmJOqfOpDNWiW3JcO--ss) – Tracxn: Anduril company profile, funding stage, founders 3. [robotics.press](https://robotics.press/news/anduril-deep-dive/) – Robotics Press: Deep dive on valuation, revenue, total funding, employee estimate 4. [anduril.com/careers](https://www.anduril.com/careers) – Official careers page (search result summary) 5. [anduril.com/open-roles](https://www.anduril.com/open-roles) – Open roles listing ## Other roles at Anduril Industries - [Senior Strategic Finance Analyst, AD&S](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-strategic-finance-analyst-ad-s-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-california-fs4c19bcf8pr) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Technical Program Manager, Core Technology](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-core-technology-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-znj9wpcasft1) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Senior Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-program-manager-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-california-nz0gkbfcrb5n) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-california-m4n8684ca156) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Senior Manufacturing Test Engineer, Connected Warfare](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manufacturing-test-engineer-connected-warfare-anduril-industries-santa-jqr6xahv3w8x) — Santa Ana California, United States - [Mission Software Engineer, Mission Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/mission-software-engineer-mission-systems-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-q8k77s1emec4) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Personnel Security Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/personnel-security-specialist-anduril-industries-quincy-massachusetts-m5nx0bp29b82) — Quincy Massachusetts, United States - [Staff PCB Design Engineer/Layout Engineer, Air Dominance and Strike](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-pcb-design-engineer-layout-engineer-air-dominance-and-strike-anduril-n0mb3z9cffag) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Recruiting Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-anduril-industries-london-england-92fbpseem5ea) — London England, United Kingdom - [Senior Frontend Software Engineer, Discovery](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-frontend-software-engineer-discovery-anduril-industries-boston-c5jptxjdwn5z) — Boston Massachusetts, United States / Costa Mesa California, United States / Washington District of Columbia, United States