--- title: 'Chief Software Engineer, Space Ground Systems at Anduril Industries' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/chief-software-engineer-space-ground-systems-anduril-industries-colorado-springs-cc2v2x3n4axr' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-07' --- # Chief Software Engineer, Space Ground Systems at Anduril Industries - **Company:** Anduril Industries - **Location:** Colorado Springs, CO / Costa Mesa, CA / Washington, DC - **Compensation:** $220k–$292k - **Posted:** 2026-10-27 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/andurilindustries/jobs/5145121007?gh_jid=5145121007 ## 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. Chief Software Engineer, Space Ground Systems ## ABOUT THE JOB We are looking for a Chief Engineer to join our rapidly growing space ground systems teams in Costa Mesa, Washington DC and Colorado Springs. In this role, you will serve as the technical lead on a wide breadth of emerging developments geared towards high-impact ground C2 systems focused on Space Domain Awareness (SDA), space control, and dynamic space operations. Drawing on a strong technical background in distributed backend systems, satellite command & control architecture, and mission data processing, you will drive technology developments through design, build, test, and delivery for operational ground segments. Anduril is developing fully integrated hardware and software ground systems, including Lattice for Space Ground C2, mission planning & scheduling services, and modular backend platforms, to address growing threats in space and ensure our U.S. military and allied partners maintain a decisive advantage in this contested war-fighting domain. The Chief Engineer will develop a technical strategy and roadmap in conjunction with the Director of Engineering for Ground Systems and the Growth/Strategy leads of the Space team that effectively leverages current Anduril technologies and newly developed technologies to serve customer mission areas. This role will address pre-award demonstrations, early contract phases, and full-contract execution. Working with a multi-disciplinary engineering team, the Chief Engineer will ensure the efficient development and delivery of backend services, operator workflows, and mission data platforms for the customer. These efforts will include leading complex, integrated ground systems for operational mission support and demonstrations to include subcontracted teammates and strategic partnerships. The Chief Engineer will facilitate effective technical development and integration that spans company boundaries in an agile development approach within a continuous integration/continuous deployment paradigm. They will balance the development of new capabilities with the incorporation of pre-existing Anduril or industry capabilities and effectively communicate technical progress to internal and external stakeholders. The Chief Engineer will be responsible for technical oversight of all aspects of program execution from proposals through SRR, PDR, CDR, integration testing, security accreditation, and deployment of operational ground systems into classified environments. In conjunction with the Director of Engineering for Ground Systems, they will assist in building out the necessary infrastructure to execute on all aspects of ground segment build, integration, and test—including establishing system requirements, performance criteria, and acceptance testing with external vendors and government partners. The Chief Engineer will also work closely with the Anduril Space orbital team to enable seamless space-to-ground integration and deliver end-to-end mission solutions to both the customer and broader customer ecosystems. A successful Chief Engineer in the Ground Systems business line is one that is technically broad and can serve as an effective technical oversight for all disciplines across all phases of a program lifecycle, including: backend architecture, distributed systems, microservices, telemetry processing, command & control workflows, mission planning & scheduling, state replication, cybersecurity (MLS/HAIPE), cloud/on-prem orchestration (Kubernetes), data engineering, operator user experience, system integration, security accreditation, and operational deployment. ## WHAT YOU'LL DO - Provide technical leadership and system-level expertise across ground C2 architecture, satellite TT&C systems, mission data processing pipelines, and operator workflow applications. - Serve as the technical authority on the program and maintain the technical integrity of the program. Monitor, control, and execute the engineering baseline of the program, and act in concert with the Program Manager to ensure that technical scope is both appropriate for the mission and satisfies end-customer needs. - Lead technical execution and architecture development for key mission areas, including Space Domain Awareness (SDA) ground processing, space control C2 systems, and dynamic RPO mission support. - Drive the engineering lifecycle for ground segments and mission applications from early architecture trades through operational deployment into classified/air-gapped environments and mission go-live. - Leverage strategic partnerships and teammates to build out new ground products that satisfy customer requirements in contested, denied, and multi-level secure (MLS) mission environments. - Provide space ground systems expertise to refine and advance the Anduril Space Ground portfolio and strategy for customer engagements and demonstrations. - Contribute technical inputs and engineering execution plans to high-priority proposals, including ground system cost estimation, technical risk assessment, and architectural trade studies. - Provide technical mentorship and oversight to a multi-disciplinary engineering team through all phases of program execution up to and including operational mission support and sustainment. - Perform system-level trade studies and analysis to balance risk, cost, schedule, performance, scalability, security accreditation timelines, and operational availability. ## REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - Demonstrated track record architecting, developing, and delivering defense/IC ground systems for satellite C2, with hands-on heritage in distributed backend architecture, mission data processing, and TT&C system integration. - Deep domain expertise in Space Domain Awareness (SDA) ground processing, space control C2 workflows, Rendezvous & Proximity Operations (RPO) mission planning, and dynamic space operations ground support. - Technical familiarity with satellite command & control architectures, telemetry processing pipelines (high-rate sensor data ingest), mission planning & scheduling systems, and tasking/collection management across multiple orbital regimes (LEO, GEO, cislunar). - Strong understanding of the current technical state, mission needs, and CONOPS of key USSF and IC ground enterprise systems (e.g., LGS, NOVA/SuperNOVA, EPOCH, SDA ground infrastructure). - Demonstrated ability to decompose complex mission requirements with competing constraints (e.g., throughput, latency, availability, modularity, cybersecurity/MLS, air-gapped deployment) into executable engineering roadmaps. - Experience with defense ground system accreditation processes (e.g., DISA STIGs, NIST RMF, ICD 503, Cross Domain Solutions) and classified system deployment. - Strong technical fundamentals across distributed backend systems, real-time data pipelines, state replication, mission-critical operator workflows, and rapid product development in air-gapped environments. - Production experience building backend systems in Go, C++, Python, Rust, or Java, with proficiency in container orchestration (Kubernetes/Docker), service communication (gRPC/REST), and CI/CD—solutions must solve core problems like concurrency and distributed state management without reliance on cloud-managed service abstractions. - Proven ability to architect systems that remain robust when deployed into air-gapped or classified environments—core problems like concurrency, state replication, and distributed orchestration must be solved with portable engineering fundamentals, not reliance on cloud-managed service abstractions. - Strong technical communication skills, with the ability to present critical briefings, architecture trade studies, and program milestones to executive leadership and government customers. - Proven technical leadership experience on US Government / DoD / IC space ground contracts. - Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance (TS/SCI preferred). US Salary Range $220,000—$292,000 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 - [Curriculum Developer](https://feeny.ai/job/curriculum-developer-anduril-industries-santa-ana-6htrphsn60v0) — Santa Ana, CA - [Program Manager, Maintenance](https://feeny.ai/job/program-manager-maintenance-anduril-industries-ashville-1yx960a04m6j) — Ashville, OH - [Growth Operations Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/growth-operations-associate-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-7gc7sar8jzw5) — Costa Mesa, CA - [Supplier Quality Engineer - Sentry](https://feeny.ai/job/supplier-quality-engineer-sentry-anduril-industries-irvine-tvr0x3ya168c) — Irvine, CA - [Senior Supplier Quality Engineer - Sentry](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-supplier-quality-engineer-sentry-anduril-industries-irvine-5befszzye81w) — Irvine, CA - [Senior Flight Test Engineer, Omen](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-flight-test-engineer-omen-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-fm2827kf0cba) — Costa Mesa, CA - [Flight Test Engineer, Omen](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-test-engineer-omen-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-hyw4vy9wrt79) — Costa Mesa, CA - [Senior Flight Test Engineer - Advanced Effects (Roadrunner)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-flight-test-engineer-advanced-effects-roadrunner-anduril-industries-y08jtpec5qct) — Costa Mesa, CA - [Mailroom Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/mailroom-specialist-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-prawmqn0hskd) — Costa Mesa, CA - [Senior Manager, Counter Intrusion](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-counter-intrusion-anduril-industries-irvine-v6nk24cjap5g) — Irvine, CA