Prototype Fabrication Manager

About the Team

The Dev Manufacturing Team is part of Anduril’s Mechanical Engineering organization and supports rapid hardware development across prototype fabrication, machining, composites, additive manufacturing, and manufacturing development.

This team helps convert early engineering concepts into physical hardware by partnering closely with design engineers, project leads, fabricators, machinists, and shop operations teams. The work spans prototype structures, welded assemblies, sheet metal parts, machined components, test articles, and production-intent development hardware.

About the Job

Anduril is looking for a Prototype Fabrication Manager to join our team in Costa Mesa, CA. In this role, you will lead the prototype fabrication team responsible for building and modifying development hardware across Anduril’s product portfolio.

You will manage shop priorities, people, project flow, resources, safety, quality, and execution. This role requires someone who can understand technical drawings, identify build risks before work starts, prioritize competing requests, allocate team capacity, and partner with engineering to keep prototype hardware moving quickly without sacrificing safety or quality.

Your Impact

• Lead a skilled prototype fabrication team supporting fast-moving hardware programs.
• Improve shop throughput by creating clear prioritization, scheduling, and resource-allocation practices.
• Reduce build delays by identifying drawing, material, tolerance, weld, and manufacturability issues before work is delegated.
• Strengthen shop execution through consistent safety, quality, onboarding, and workflow standards.
• Partner with engineering and project stakeholders to support rapid development from concept through completed hardware.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a team of fabricators and machinists, including onboarding, training coordination, work assignment, performance management, and day-to-day team support.
• Define and apply criteria for Jira ticket prioritization, including due dates, shop capacity, personnel availability, material readiness, and product/program impact.
• Review drawings, models, files, and work instructions before delegating tasks, including material callouts, weld symbols, tolerances, specifications, and potential build risks.
• Delegate Jira tasks, monitor progress, and maintain schedules against project deadlines.
• Balance workload across the team, especially for high-priority or schedule-critical projects.
• Create and maintain the overall shop schedule.
• Engage in design reviews and coordinate with engineers and project leads to understand scope, technical requirements, and delivery priorities.
• Monitor quality, accuracy, and execution approach across assigned parts and projects.
• Manage raw material and consumable inventory, including welding gases, abrasives, fabrication supplies, and related shop resources.
• Enforce safety policies and procedures within the fabrication shop.
• Partner with EHS to evaluate unclear safety situations, identify hazards, and support corrective actions.
• Participate in interviews for new hires and help establish an effective onboarding/orientation process.
• Oversee manual machining operations for mill and lathe work in the fabrication area.
• Support decisions around shop improvements, tooling, equipment needs, and new equipment purchases.
• Maintain shop organization, cleanliness, safety, and readiness.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in prototype fabrication, job shop, machine shop, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, automotive, motorsports, or similar hands-on hardware environments.
• 3+ years of experience managing, leading, or supervising fabricators, machinists, technicians, or similar shop-floor teams.
• 3+ years of experience creating or managing shop schedules, work queues, production priorities, or project/resource plans.
• Experience reviewing technical drawings, blueprints, CAD outputs, work instructions, weld symbols, tolerances, specifications, and material callouts.
• Experience with metal fabrication, structural fabrication, welding processes, sheet metal fabrication, and/or manual machining.
• Working knowledge of welding processes such as GMAW, FCAW, and/or GTAW.
• Working knowledge of manual mill and/or lathe operations.
• Experience managing raw materials, consumables, shop supplies, tooling, or equipment resources.
• Experience identifying fabrication, machining, material, tolerance, or manufacturability issues before or during a build.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities

Preferred Qualifications

• CAD design software experience.
• Jira and/or Confluence experience.
• Project management experience in a prototype, job shop, fabrication, machining, manufacturing development, or hardware engineering environment.
• Experience supporting design reviews, build reviews, or manufacturability reviews.
• Experience selecting, justifying, or implementing shop equipment, tooling, or workflow improvements.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, motorsports, advanced manufacturing, or other hardware-intensive environments.