
Flight Test Engineer - MA
Costa Mesa, CAJob$101–135K/yrPosted todayStill listed today
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At a glance
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Job overview
Anduril Industries is seeking a Mission Autonomy Flight Test Engineer to test autonomous systems and contribute to their iterative development. The role involves designing and executing test plans, analyzing test and simulation data, coordinating with cross-functional teams and test ranges, and reporting findings. The engineer will help verify system performance in simulated and operational scenarios and support the refinement of autonomy algorithms and behaviors.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full 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.
The Test and Evaluation team at Anduril is integral to our mission, ensuring that every product meets the highest standards of performance and reliability. We are at the forefront of testing approaches, particularly in the domain of mission autonomy systems. As we expand, we're seeking a methodical engineer who is prepared to tackle the challenges of mission autonomy testing and contribute to the iterative development and refinement of our autonomous systems.
As a Mission Autonomy Flight Test Engineer at Anduril Industries, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of defense technology. Your focus on autonomy will empower users to execute multifaceted missions with precision and efficiency. Join us in our mission to transform military capabilities with your expertise in testing and autonomy.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
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Drive the advancement of Anduril's testing methodologies, with a focus on mission autonomy systems, to ensure robust and reliable performance in complex operational scenarios.
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Design and implement test plans that challenge and verify the capabilities of autonomous systems in a variety of simulated mission profiles.
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Analyze data from tests to validate system performance and identify areas for improvement, iterating rapidly to refine autonomy algorithms and behaviors.
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Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including software engineers, hardware engineers, and product managers, to define test requirements and ensure alignment with system capabilities and mission objectives.
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Drive end-to-end test management by shaping program requirements, designing comprehensive test plans, leading execution efforts, analyzing complex data, and delivering clear, concise reports to cross-functional and program teams.
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Execute and analyze simulations that replicate real-world scenarios for autonomous systems to accelerate testing cycles, optimize system performance, and inform stakeholders on development and deployment implications.
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Coordinate with private and government test ranges to test and evaluate systems and software
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
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A Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, robotics, or a related technical field from an accredited institution, or equivalent experience in autonomous systems testing.
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Minimum of 3 years of experience in flight testing, with a strong emphasis on autonomous or remotely piloted systems.
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Demonstrated ability in developing and executing test plans for complex systems within aggressive timelines.
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Familiarity with the principles of mission autonomy, unmanned systems, and the integration of multiple assets into cohesive operational frameworks.
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Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret test data, diagnose system behaviors, and recommend actionable improvements.
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Proven track record of working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to achieve project milestones and deliverables.
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Excellent communication skills, capable of effectively articulating technical challenges and solutions to a diverse audience.
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Willingness to work flexible hours and travel to various testing locations as required.
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Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret-Level security clearance.
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In this role, you will be subject to pre-employment and randomized substance screening, as required by the Company.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
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Direct experience in the development, testing, and deployment of mission autonomy systems in a defense or aerospace context.
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Hands-on experience with simulation environments and tools used for testing autonomous systems.
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Familiarity with software development practices and experience with programming languages used in autonomy and robotics (e.g., Python, C++, ROS).
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Knowledge of current industry and military standards related to unmanned aerial systems and their operation within national airspace.
US Salary Range $101,000—$135,000 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.
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.
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Please always verify communications:
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Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
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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].
• 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.
How this job compares
Set against the 3,094 open Test Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 3, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$101–135K/yr
- California median$125–179K/yr656 salary ranges
- US median$102–161K/yr2,064 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $118K, is 23% below the California median midpoint ($154K) — in the lowest quarter of Test Engineer salary ranges in California.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 819 open Test Engineer jobs in California and 3,094 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in California
- Anduril Industries (this employer)69 open
- Northrop Grumman61 open
- Anduril55 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 3 years of experience; Test Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (2,595 postings).
- Education
- 1,679 of the 3,094 open Test Engineer jobs (54%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 3, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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