Chief Digital Systems Engineer

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 Role Anduril's Multi-National Digital Infrastructure (MDI) team builds and sustains the sovereign cloud, classified networks, edge compute, and coalition interoperability layer that Anduril's products depend on across nations and classification levels. The Principal Systems Engineer is MDI's chief engineer -- owning the technical vision, architectural coherence, and engineering standard for this infrastructure globally. This is not a staff role that writes architecture docs and advises. You build. You ship. You set the standard by doing the work and then codifying the pattern so it scales without you in the room. What You'll Do Architectural Vision & Coherence Own the MDI technical architecture end-to-end: sovereign cloud (IL5/IL6), classified bilateral networks, maritime C2 patterns, edge-to-cloud pipelines, and coalition interoperabilityEnsure decisions in one workstream don't create debt in another -- hold the full picture across 8+ concurrent milestonesMake the hard architectural calls: technology selection, accreditation-driven design constraints, build vs. buy, when to diverge from common baselineDrive the "build once, deploy per nation" model -- common baseline infrastructure with intentional, late divergence Engineering Standards & Quality Define and enforce the engineering bar: IaC practices, security baselines, deployment patterns, documentation requirements, peer review processEstablish RFC-governed decision processes so architectural choices are deliberate, recorded, and reviewableOwn reliability and quality improvement -- set measurable targets and drive the team toward themTranslate national accreditation requirements (DCSA, IRAP/ISM, NCSC) into engineering work, not paperwork Scale & Reuse Build the common infrastructure patterns that let MDI expand to new nations and classification levels without proportional engineering effortEach subsequent national deployment should be faster than the last -- configuration over engineeringOwn the module library, deployment templates, and accreditation frameworks that make this possiblePrevent the bespoke/incompatible pattern that every other defense company falls into at scale Team Leadership Technical leader for MDI's distributed engineering team across US, UK, and AUSSet direction, mentor IC3-IC5 engineers, review work, raise the barDefine the technical hiring bar and skills framework for MDI engineering rolesEstablish cross-timezone collaboration patterns that function without requiring you as a bottleneck Division Interface Represent MDI's technical capabilities and constraints to Maritime and (2027+) Maneuver Dominance leadershipShape what's technically possible -- translate engineering reality into program decisionsInterface with adjacent technical teams (InfoSec, CorpTech, MTOC, Enabling Technology) on shared concerns What You Bring Required Deep experience designing and building classified network infrastructure across multiple nations or accreditation frameworksHands-on with sovereign cloud architecture -- not just design, but implementation (IaC, module development, deployment automation)Experience with COMSEC integration, HAIPE/KG-175X, and the intersection of network sovereignty and cryptographic key managementDemonstrated ability to set engineering standards for a distributed team and drive adoption without micromanagementTrack record of building reusable infrastructure patterns that scale -- not one-off builds that require re-engineering for each deploymentUnderstanding of multinational compliance and accreditation (at least 2 of: DCSA/NIST 800-53, IRAP/ISM, NCSC Cyber Essentials+/OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE)Experience operating as the architectural decision-maker -- not waiting for direction, but setting itAbility to hold both tactical delivery and strategic architecture simultaneously without sacrificing either Preferred Experience in the AUKUS or Five Eyes defense industrial contextFamiliarity with bilateral/multilateral classified data sharing mechanisms (CDS, policy-controlled release)Background in both network engineering and cloud infrastructure (not just one)Experience with defense accreditation processes from the engineering side -- building systems that pass, not just documenting compliancePrior experience working with or within allied Defence organizations (US DoD, Australian Defence, UK MOD) What Success Looks Like First 90 Days Document MDI's architectural strategy: current state, target state, and gapsEstablish RFC/review process for architectural decisions across the teamIdentify the top 3 reuse opportunities across current national builds and begin codifying themBuild relationships with adjacent technical leaders (InfoSec, CorpTech, MTOC, Enabling Technology) First 6 Months Common baseline infrastructure pattern proven across at least 2 nations -- deployment to a new nation demonstrably faster than the firstEngineering standards documented and adopted by the team with measurable quality improvementAccreditation engineering approach established -- national frameworks translated into repeatable engineering controlsSovereign cloud and classified network architectures aligned under a single coherent technical strategy First 12 Months MDI's infrastructure model is the reference architecture for how Anduril builds sovereign systems globallyExpansion to new divisions scoped and technically ready -- an extension of proven patterns, not a new engineering effortReliability and quality metrics trending in the right direction with clear ownershipEngineering team operating at a higher standard -- evidenced by faster deployments, fewer rework cycles, stronger accreditation postureTechnical career path established for MDI engineers with clear growth trajectory How This Role Fits This role works in partnership with the MDI Lead. The MDI Lead owns what we build and why -- stakeholder relationships, program prioritization, BD pipeline, team growth strategy, and cross-division influence. The Principal Systems Engineer owns how it's built and how it scales -- architecture, engineering standards, technical feasibility, capability roadmap, hiring bar, and accreditation engineering. Why This Role Matters Every nation MDI expands to should get faster -- not harder. The Principal Systems Engineer builds the infrastructure once, codifies the pattern, and ensures each subsequent deployment is a configuration change, not a new engineering effort. That's how one team supports multiple divisions and multiple nations without breaking. Benefits 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: 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. 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