Staff Program Manager, Launched Effects
Anduril Industries · California
📍 Costa Mesa, California, United States💰 $191,000via greenhousePosted 2026-06-26
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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 Tactical Recon & Strike team at Anduril develops aerial small drones (Group 1-3) and all equipment to test, deploy and operate. The team is responsible for taking products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt and Altius from concepts to operational systems. We work in close coordination with specialist teams to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers. We are looking for software engineers, hardware engineers, roboticists, and front-end mobile developers who are excited about creating a powerful robotics platform that can be tasked and viewed in real-time through a variety of interfaces.
ABOUT THE JOB
As the Program Manager, you will own the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for Anduril's fixed-wing drone portfolio. Working closely with the General Manager and Chief Engineer, you'll define what capabilities we build and when we deliver them to meet customer mission needs.
This is a highly cross-functional role where you'll coordinate between Growth, Engineering, and Manufacturing to drive execution. You'll lead Integrated Product Teams, manage IRAD budgets, prioritize the roadmap, and ensure on-time delivery of capabilities. Your focus is strategic—determining which capabilities to build and when—while Systems Engineers and TPMs handle detailed execution.
Success requires balancing competing priorities, identifying product-level risks, removing blockers, and driving accountability across the organization. You'll influence without authority and communicate effectively from the factory floor to executive leadership. This isn't traditional project management—you'll think at the product level about lifecycle, market fit, and scaling from prototype to production
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Product Strategy & Vision
Define product vision and strategy in collaboration with the General Manager and Chief Engineer
Develop and prioritize the product roadmap in partnership with engineering leadership
Collaborate with Growth to define market positioning and opportunities for TRS product line
Maintain and evolve the product catalog to reflect current and future capabilities
Cross-Functional Leadership
Serve as the central focal point between Growth, Manufacturing, and Engineering organizations
Coordinate and prioritize Integrated Product Team (IPT) activities across functional areas
Drive execution of the Product Maturity Process through coordination with cross-functional teams
Foster collaboration and accountability for priorities across Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, Legal, Business Operations, and Quality
Product Lifecycle Management
Deliver designs from development to production readiness
Ensure capabilities are delivered on time and meet customer requirements
Manage product evolution from initial development through sustained production
Oversee product financial planning, balancing market targets against cost structures
Risk & Prioritization
Identify and mitigate product-level risks
Lead risk assessment collaboration with technical teams
Consolidate schedules and drive prioritization decisions across the organization
Review and evaluate proposals, ideation concepts, and contract opportunities
Program Execution & Budget Management
Manage IRAD budget allocation and tracking for TRS products
Align schedules across multiple concurrent efforts
Facilitate requirements collaboration between stakeholders
Conduct priority assessments to optimize resource allocation
Communication & Stakeholder Management
Provide consolidated product updates to leadership and stakeholders
Serve as cross-functional representative for TRS product line
Document and maintain stakeholder relationships and communication channels
Act as central point of contact for product-related inquiries and coordination
Develop and communicate risk mitigation plans
Day-to-Day Responsibilities
Prioritize product features and capabilities based on customer needs and strategic objectives
Task functional IPTs and remove blockers to maintain momentum
Conduct weekly IPT Leads meetings and bi-weekly Product Stakeholder meetings
Balance competing priorities and make trade-off decisions at the product level
Maintain strategic focus on when capabilities are needed rather than detailed execution
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
7+ years of experience in product management, program management, or related roles in aerospace/defense
Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary hardware products through full lifecycle
Strong understanding of engineering development processes and manufacturing operations
Experience with DoD contracts and government customer interfaces
Proven ability to influence and drive decisions across cross-functional organizations without direct authority
Excellent communication skills with ability to translate between technical and business stakeholders
Experience managing budgets and financial planning for product lines
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related technical field
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience with unmanned aerial systems or autonomous platforms
Background in manufacturing process development or production scale-up
Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodo
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