Senior Mechanical Engineer, Test Fixtures

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Maneuver Dominance team is building Thunder - an autonomous attack rotorcraft built to fight alongside crewed combat aviation to deliver overwhelming mass effects deep beyond the front lines. The team in London builds the Mission System and the autonomy that makes aircraft like Thunder work.

Autonomy is only as good as the link that carries it. Thunder is a compact airframe with weapons, sensors and radios competing for the same antenna real estate, flying low and in formation, in a spectrum that is actively contested. That is the problem you would own.

ABOUT THE JOB

Anduril is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Test Fixture Design to join the Thunder team in our Costa Mesa, CA office. Flight test validation moves only as fast as your ground test infrastructure allows. In this role, you will own the physical architecture, mechanical design, and rapid build of mission-critical test fixtures, structural test frames, and surrogate vehicle systems. Your hardware will validate everything from high-density avionics integration and dynamic payload releases to rotor vibration survivability and full-vehicle "iron bird" ground setups.

You will bridge the digital design and physical test worlds. Acting with high ownership and autonomy, you will derive load cases, architect rigid and reconfigurable test stands, integrate test instrumentation (sensors, load cells, actuators), and collaborate closely with machine shops and assembly technicians to bring test beds to life in days and weeks—not months.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Lead the end-to-end mechanical design, analysis, and build of structural test fixtures, environmental/vibration test adapters, surrogate aircraft frames, and subsystem validation rigs.
• Take hands-on ownership of prototyping test equipment, operating machine tools, coordinating with internal model shops, and assembling complex ground test setups.
• Engineer rugged, rigid, and safe fixtures capable of reacting severe static and dynamic flight loads while maintaining precise interface tolerances and metrology alignment.
• Collaborate with Test, Electrical, and Systems teams to package actuators, load cells, LVDTs, strain gauges, and fluid/power lines seamlessly into test rigs.
• Partner with machine shops, material suppliers, and outside vendors; aggressively chase down lead times, resolve manufacturing anomalies, and optimize designs for DFM.
• Perform rapid stress, deflection, and fatigue calculations to verify that test fixtures possess adequate structural margins and will not influence test article dynamics.
• Travel to test ranges, environmental labs, and flight line facilities to deploy, troubleshoot, and support ground testing and critical customer demonstrations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience, with significant focus on mechanical design, structural tooling, test fixtures, or dynamic test equipment.
• High proficiency in 3D CAD modeling (Siemens NX preferred) and detailed engineering drawing creation adhering to ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• Strong first-principles foundation in structural mechanics, load paths, structural steel/aluminum design, weldments, and bolt joint analysis.
• Proven hands-on prototyping and shop fabrication skills (manual/CNC machining, sheet metal, welding, 3D printing, hand tools).
• Demonstrated ability to move rapidly from concept to physical hardware in low-cycle, fast-turnaround prototyping environments.
• Willingness to travel ~25% to support off-site integration, testing, and hardware demonstrations.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Direct experience designing aerospace qualification fixtures (shaker table fixtures, drop test frames, centrifuge fixtures, or static load test frames).
• Deep proficiency in Siemens NX and Teamcenter.
• Experience integrating test instrumentation, sensors, hydraulic/pneumatic actuators, or Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test setups.
• Working knowledge of MIL-STD-810, DO-160, or aerospace structural qualification testing procedures.
• Familiarity with finite element analysis (FEA) for structural stiffness and modal/vibration response analysis.
• Experience with collegiate build teams (e.g., Formula SAE, Baja SAE, Design Build Fly).