Automation Engineer, General
Anduril Industries is hiring an Automation Engineer, General. It pays $115k-$171k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Anduril Industries.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- The posting mentions PLC, Hscada and Beckhoff Twincat among its tools and skills.
- Anduril Industries has 2,500+ other open roles on Level.
AI in this role
Design, program, commission, and scale automated workcells, robotics, and advanced controls platforms for manufacturing.
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 JOB
At Anduril, our Automation Engineers are the builders of modern defense manufacturing, transforming complex hardware designs—including autonomous air, ground, maritime, and sensor systems—into high-rate automated production realities. You will step into a fast-paced environment where you will design, program, commission, and scale greenfield automated workcells, robotics, and advanced controls platforms across our multi-site manufacturing footprint. We are seeking talented Automation Engineers across all experience levels (Associate, Mid, Senior, and Staff) with expertise across industrial robotics, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), electro-mechanical design, and custom software integration.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Design & Architect Automated Systems: Lead and support the design, development, simulation, and deployment of full-lifecycle automated assembly, testing, and material-handling workcells from concept through high-volume production.
- Program & Integrate Controls Platforms: Develop, debug, and optimize robust PLC, HMI, and SCADA code across modern industrial platforms (e.g., Beckhoff TwinCAT, Siemens TIA Portal, Rockwell/Allen-Bradley) utilizing IEC 61131-3 languages and industrial networking protocols (EtherCAT, Profinet, Ethernet/IP).
- Integrate Industrial Robotics & Motion: Program, calibrate, and simulate multi-axis industrial and collaborative robots (e.g., Fanuc, Kuka, ABB, Universal Robots, Staubli), implementing advanced trajectory planning, sensor integration, vision guidance, and functional safety systems (e.g., DCS, SafeOperation).
- Drive Electro-Mechanical & Safety Standards: Design electrical schematics, panel layouts, and safety circuits using CAD tools (e.g., EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks), ensuring strict compliance with industry standards such as NEC, NFPA 70E, and UL508A.
- Bridge Software & Hardware Systems: Integrate custom tooling, vision inspection systems, and edge devices using high-level programming languages (Python, C++, C#) to interface production equipment directly with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and telemetry databases.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Design, Manufacturing, Quality, and Test Engineering teams to implement Design for Automation (DFA) principles, streamline new product introduction (NPI), and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience & Education: Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience across automated manufacturing environments).
- Core Technical Competencies: Demonstrated practical experience or technical foundation in one or more of the following areas:
- Controls & Automation: Experience programming and commissioning PLCs, HMIs, and motion control systems (e.g., Beckhoff, Siemens, Rockwell/Allen-Bradley).
- Robotics & Motion Control: Hands-on exposure to industrial or collaborative robotic platforms (e.g., Fanuc, Kuka, ABB, UR), robot path planning, kinematic modeling, or multi-axis gantry systems.
- Software & Tooling: Proficiency in software development using Python, C++, C#, or ROS/ROS 2, alongside CAD/modeling tools (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD, EPLAN).
- Electrical & Safety Systems: Understanding of industrial fieldbuses, sensor systems, motor sizing, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and machinery safety protocols.
- Problem-Solving & Agility: Strong hands-on troubleshooting abilities, proactive initiative, and the capability to thrive in rapid-iteration, ambiguous, and hardware-intensive environments.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance.
This job post is inclusive of openings within various teams. Successful candidates will be matched to a specific team at a subsequent stage of the recruitment process.
The roles considered for this job post may require travel. The extent of travel will vary by role.
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:
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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.com address.
- 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 contact@anduril.com.
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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.
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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 contact@anduril.com. 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 we rate this
Automation Engineer, General at Anduril Industries rates 10 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- Walk me through a computer vision problem you solved, from raw data to a deployed model.
- Tell me about a project where automation was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where robotics was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where electro mechanical design was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where controls was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Computer vision, Automation, Robotics, Electro Mechanical Design, and Controls. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
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