Mission Software Lead - Tactical, Recon and Strike

About this role

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 Team The Altius-600 Software Team, which is part of Anduril's Tactical Recon and Strike (TRS) group, develops flight computer vehicle software, autonomy and core infrastructure for small drones (Group 1–3). The team is enhancing the current Altius VMS to support modularity, clean abstractions, and faster new-aircraft development cycles—laying the groundwork for scalable, reusable flight software across the TRS product line.

About The Job

As the Mission Software Lead , you will own the entire onboard software ecosystem of the ALTIUS-600 platform. Your technical leadership will span mission autonomy , core infrastructure , tactical Command and Control (C2) , and flight software (VMS) . You will lead a high-performing engineering team that bridges the gap between hardware interfaces, deterministic vehicle controls, edge-compute infrastructure, and high-level autonomous decision-making. You will ensure ALTIUS reliably executes complex multi-agent behaviors, communicates efficiently across tactical datalinks, and maintains strict vehicle safety and mission readiness. You will apply a broad understanding of organizational priorities, workforce planning, and financial goals to lead your teams toward defined objectives. Decisions made in this role will impact broader team effectiveness, operating methods, and critical business outcomes for our Group 1-3 UAV programs. You'll work closely with leads across Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC), Avionics, Systems, and Hardware, regularly connecting with these cross-functional partners and internal/external stakeholders to align on goals and initiatives, and ensure your team is unblocked and empowered to deliver robust, reliable, and certifiable flight software.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Lead Initiatives & Drive Outcomes: Turn broader functional plans into actionable processes, ensuring they are carried out effectively to drive tangible, tactical outcomes for our VMS roadmap. You will allocate resources and guide your teams to deliver against defined objectives, recognizing that decisions at this level influence timelines and budgets, with missteps potentially causing increased costs or delays that extend over the course of a year.

• Architect & Deliver Complex Systems: Lead the architecture, design, and execution of complex systems that effectively integrate hardware and software components, ensuring alignment with established system requirements and performance metrics. This includes strengthening and growing a dedicated software discipline around the end-to-end delivery of complex customer projects.

• Problem Solve & Innovate: Tackle complex, often undefined challenges that require conceptual thinking and a strong grasp of broader organizational goals. You will take ownership of hard problems, guiding your team to navigate a wide range of issues and choose the right methods for innovative solutions.

• Collaborate & Influence: Regularly connect with team leaders, cross-functional partners, and external stakeholders to align on goals and initiatives. You will build strong relationships across teams and disciplines, clearly sharing insights, results, and recommendations in a way that resonates with different audiences to achieve critical project and organizational objectives.

• Talent Development & Mentorship: Attract, retain, and grow top talent in software/robotics engineering, fostering a high-performing team environment that contributes to our strategic workforce planning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 7+ years experience on high performing software teams

• 3+ years direct management experience of 5+ people

• Demonstrated ability to drive a high-performing technical team

• Significant current/previous hands-on technical work on an interdisciplinary project (such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, avionics, or aerospace)

• Strong embedded systems fundamentals: resource-efficient software design, drivers, real-time responsive software, Linux and RTOS frameworks.

• Experience building and executing on technical roadmaps

• Proficiency in C++ and Linux

US Salary Range $252,000 — $333,000 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 e

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