
Systems Engineer, Space Emerging Talent
Costa Mesa, CA at a glance
- Rent
- #2 of 51$2,940/mo+46% vs US avg
- Weather
- #17 of 51366 mild days0 hot · 0 cold
- Income tax
- #1 of 5113.3% top rateCalifornia
What you need
- Bachelor's or Master's in Aerospace, Systems, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or related STEM
- 0-2 yrs experience in university CubeSat, rocketry, or multidisciplinary engineering projects
- Baseline understanding of spacecraft subsystems and interactions
- Familiarity with systems engineering lifecycle, requirements definition, trade-study methodologies
- Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, Excel, or CAD software
What you'll do
- Support breakdown of mission needs into system requirements, subsystem specs, ICDs
- Perform mission and system-level trade studies (mass, power, link budget, delta-V, thermal)
- Assist in preparing technical data packages for program milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR)
- Collaborate with test engineers to plan and execute environmental testing (thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC)
- Work across flight software, GNC, payload, electrical, ground C2 teams for hardware/software integration
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 Space team is dedicated to expanding our AI-powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners. We're developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a decisive advantage in this contested warfighting domain.
ABOUT THE JOB
We are looking for an Early Career Systems Engineer, Space to join our rapidly growing team in Costa Mesa, CA.
In this role, you will work at the intersection of hardware, software, and mission operations to help design, build, test, and field next-generation spacecraft and ground architectures.
Working closely with the Director of Engineer, Chief Engineers, Systems Engineers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams, you will help translate high-level customer mission objectives into clear engineering requirements and operational realities. You will gain comprehensive exposure across the entire lifecycle of a space program—participating in system-level trade studies, interface definition, milestone design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), qualification testing, and launch integration.
This role is tailored for a motivated recent graduate or early-career engineer who wants to build broad technical depth across orbital mechanics, mechanical, electrical, software, and payloads while moving fast in an agile development environment.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Support the breakdown and tracing of complex mission needs into functional system requirements, subsystem specifications, and Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
- Perform mission and system-level trade studies (e.g., mass, power, link budget, delta-V, and thermal margins) to balance risk, performance, and schedule.
- Assist in preparing technical data packages, analysis results, and presentation materials for major program milestones (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR).
- Collaborate with test and assembly engineers to plan and execute functional checkouts, environmental testing (thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC), and acceptance testing aligned with industry standards (e.g., GEVS).
- Work across flight software, GNC, payload, electrical, and ground C2 teams to resolve technical discrepancies and ensure seamless hardware/software integration.
- Maintain system budgets (mass, power, data, RF link), risk registers, and verification matrices throughout the development lifecycle.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Must be pursuing or have recently completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related STEM field.
- 0–2 years of professional, internship, or hands-on university project team experience (e.g., university CubeSat team, rocketry club, high-altitude balloon project, or related multidisciplinary engineering team).
- Baseline understanding of spacecraft subsystems (structures, thermal, power, avionics, GNC, communications, and payloads) and how they interact.
- Familiarity with the systems engineering lifecycle, requirements definition, and trade-study methodologies.
- Proficiency with modeling/analysis tools such as MATLAB, Python, Excel, or CAD software.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to summarize complex technical findings clearly.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Hands-on experience developing, integrating, or testing small satellites, payloads, or autonomous robotic systems.
- Familiarity with spacecraft environmental testing standards (e.g., SMC-S-016 / MIL-STD-1540, NASA GEVS).
- Exposure to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) concepts or tools (e.g., SysML, Cameo).
- Exposure to hardware-software integration, lab test equipment, and FlatSat environments.
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.
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.comaddress. - 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 [email protected].
- Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an
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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 [email protected]. 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.
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About Anduril Industries
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company that builds advanced autonomous systems and software for national security. Their Lattice platform integrates sensors, autonomous systems, and data to provide situational awareness and threat response across air, land, sea, and space domains.
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