--- title: 'Manager, Manufacturing Optimization at Anduril Industries' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/manager-manufacturing-optimization-anduril-industries-ashville-ohio-v9nvqv59srhh' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-12' --- # Manager, Manufacturing Optimization at Anduril Industries - **Company:** Anduril Industries - **Location:** Ashville Ohio, United States - **Compensation:** $143k–$191k - **Posted:** 2026-09-03 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/andurilindustries/jobs/5229812007?gh_jid=5229812007 ## 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. ## ABOUT THE TEAM The Manufacturing Operations Team plays a vital role in driving operational excellence and delivering high-quality products that support Anduril's mission of advancing defense capabilities. ## ABOUT THE JOB We are seeking a Manufacturing Optimization Manager to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence across our manufacturing sites in the US. This role will work closely with senior manufacturing leadership to implement and sustain lean manufacturing systems, coach frontline leaders, and resolve operational challenges to enhance efficiency, quality, and throughput. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing operations and lean methodologies, with proven experience leading teams and implementing structured problem-solving approaches. You will be responsible for managing day-to-day shop floor operations, developing group leaders and supervisors, and building sustainable systems that drive long-term performance improvements. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced manufacturing professional ready to make an impact in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. A successful candidate will be expected to work out of Columbus, OH. Based on eligibility, relocation assistance may be available. Travel up to 50% may be required for training, cross-site collaboration, or supporting continuous improvement initiatives at other Anduril facilities. ## WHAT YOU’LL DO - Establish a scalable operating system (tiered accountability, daily management, KPI trees, visual management) aligned to safety, quality, delivery, and cost - Strengthen cross-functional execution by integrating Operations, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Test into shared problem-solving and prioritized action plans - Standardize processes and work content to reduce variation, improve first-pass yield, and enable predictable staffing models and flexible labor deployment - Drive continuous improvement using structured problem solving (A3/8D), waste elimination, and targeted kaizen to improve flow and performance - Lead rapid triage on critical constraints and escapes across all Anduril facilities—stabilize safety/quality events, throughput losses, and schedule risks using standard escalation and containment playbooks - Coach and develop Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders through daily Gemba, leader standard work, and structured feedback - Capture and deploy best practices across lines/cells/sites via playbooks, standard work libraries, and replication mechanisms with clear ownership and audit cadence - Develop practical tools and structures (dashboards, hour-by-hour boards, problem queues, skills boards) that improve visibility, prioritization, and decision speed ## REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - 5+ years of experience in manufacturing and production operations - 2+ years in a supervisor or production operations lead/manager role in a high-volume production environment - A full understanding of the product life cycle (NPI to scaled production), LEAN manufacturing principles, and change management (ECOs) - Can interpret technical documentation (mechanical drawings, work instructions, building plans, equipment specs, electrical schematics, etc.) - Extremely reliable, organized and detail-oriented with excellent verbal & written communication skills - Passion for employee development and enjoy the process of training and developing both new hires and veteran production staff - Proven skills in both process and equipment troubleshooting, allowing you to easily adapt to constantly changing production environments - Experience supporting process development - Knowledge of 5S, lean manufacturing or Six Sigma principles - Excellent written and verbal communication skills - Proficient with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project) - Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance ## PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Aircraft new product introduction (NPI) experience - Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (engineering, business, or applied science) - Lean six sigma green belt certified - Working knowledge of AS9100 standards and OSHA laws - Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret Security Clearance - Experience in small electronic assembly and drones a plus - Ability to develop cross functional relationships as a well-respected, trusted partner US Salary Range $143,000—$191,000 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 - [Information Systems Security Officer, Space](https://feeny.ai/job/information-systems-security-officer-space-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-zwp9025w9760) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Senior Technical Writer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-writer-anduril-industries-reston-virginia-ndrwqr6yqqcc) — Reston Virginia, United States - [Construction Systems Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/construction-systems-specialist-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-california-d82jdsxcq2mk) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [System Integration and Test Engineer, Space Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/system-integration-and-test-engineer-space-systems-anduril-industries-costa-kmfpy97hkwvt) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Business Operations, Production](https://feeny.ai/job/business-operations-production-anduril-industries-washington-district-of-715g9mqc247p) — Washington District of Columbia, United States - [Senior Product Sourcing Engineer, Core Tech](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-sourcing-engineer-core-tech-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-tpps36bg7whr) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Senior Technical Hardware Recruiter, Quality Control](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-hardware-recruiter-quality-control-anduril-industries-costa-n4pwbrfsb07p) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Contract Technical Recruiter, Production (Technicians)](https://feeny.ai/job/contract-technical-recruiter-production-technicians-anduril-industries-ashville-02hzm0tesq31) — Ashville Ohio, United States - [Asset Improvement Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/asset-improvement-lead-anduril-industries-costa-mesa-california-30rtjyvhqmpd) — Costa Mesa California, United States - [Manufacturing Security Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-security-operations-manager-anduril-industries-mchenry-mississippi-98g7kfmhwkeb) — Mchenry Mississippi, United States