Principal Systems Engineer, M&A

ABOUT THE JOB

The Infrastructure Engineering organization is looking for an accomplished Principal Systems Engineer to lead our acquisition integration engineering practice. This pivotal role will own the end-to-end infrastructure engineering lifecycle of integrating newly acquired businesses into Anduril's existing ecosystem. You will be instrumental in defining, executing, and maturing our integration processes, from initial discovery and assessment through migration execution and hypercare. This individual will possess a remarkable dynamic range, capable of engaging effectively with company founders and executives, producing architecture and roadmaps, and rolling up their sleeves to perform hands-on engineering work. A key responsibility will be collaborating with stakeholder teams (Merger & Acquisition program team, Client Engineering, Business systems & Applications) to define and establish our acquisition integration engineering practice, developing repeatable, benchmarked processes that undergo rigorous post-mortem and continuous improvement. You will also identify critical tooling gaps that can expedite discovery, migration, and testing activities, either building these tools yourself or scoping them for peers to deliver. While you will collaborate closely with Security and Client Engineering teams, a strong foundational understanding of these domains is essential, complementing your deep networking and systems engineering expertise.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Define, establish, and lead the infrastructure integration engineering practice, setting the technical vision and strategy for integrating new entities and technologies.
• Single threaded ownership of all infrastructure component(s) of acquisition integration from discovery and due diligence through migration execution and hypercare.
• Conduct comprehensive technical assessments of target companies' infrastructure, systems, and operational capabilities, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Develop and present high-level architectural strategies and detailed roadmaps for integrations to executive leadership, founders, and technical teams.
• Design and implement robust, scalable, and secure system architectures for integrated environments, ensuring alignment with Anduril's overall technology strategy.
• Develop and execute detailed migration plans, managing complex technical challenges and dependencies.
• Provide post-migration hypercare support, ensuring a smooth transition and stabilization of integrated systems.
• Define, document, and continuously improve repeatable processes to accelerate acquisition integration, establishing benchmarks, conducting post-mortems, and implementing lessons learned.
• Identify, evaluate, and implement or scope the development of new tools and technologies to enhance discovery, migration, and testing efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with Security teams to ensure all integrated systems meet Anduril's stringent security requirements and policies.
• Partner with Client Engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of acquired client and client-facing technologies and services.
• Provide clear, concise, and opinionated technical guidance, and proactively push back on misaligned proposals to ensure successful technical outcomes.
• Act as a technical authority, mentor, and trusted advisor to engineering teams involved in integration efforts.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in Systems Engineering, Network Engineering, and/or IT Infrastructure roles with a focus on complex, enterprise-scale environments.
• Self-sufficient ability to execute in (technical and non-technical) program management, architecture and hands on engineering capacities.
• Demonstrated expertise in defining and building engineering practices and repeatable processes.
• Proven ability to operate across the entire engineering lifecycle, from strategic discovery and architecture to hands-on execution and hypercare.
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, including C-suite executives, founders, and engineering teams.
• Deep understanding of modern cloud architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP), hybrid cloud solutions, and on-premises infrastructure.
• Extensive experience with enterprise networking technologies, including routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, and load balancing.
• Strong knowledge of server virtualization, containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), and operating systems (Linux, Windows).
• Experience with identity and access management (IAM) solutions, single sign-on (SSO), and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Proficiency in scripting and automation for infrastructure deployment and management (e.g., Python, Ansible, Terraform).
• Strong understanding of security principles, best practices, and common vulnerabilities within systems and networks.
• Familiarity with client engineering principles and technologies.
• Proven experience in identifying tooling gaps and either developing solutions or effectively scoping them for development.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to travel for remote deployments and assessments as required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with infrastructure-as-code (IaC) principles and tools.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps methodologies.
• Experience with data center design and operations.
• Experience in the defense technology or highly regulated industries.