Controls Engineer, Manufacturing Automation
Anduril Industries · Costa Mesa, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Controls
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level controls role at Anduril Industries (aerospace & defense) in Costa Mesa, CA. You will have the opportunity to help define what production automation looks like for Anduril at a national scale.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, PLC, Robotics, Automation, AutoCAD
- Openings
- 2 with this title at this site
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $123k–$179k.
Median of the low and high ends of 57 live postings that list pay, out of 111 controls engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 110 other live controls postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $123k–$179k, from 55 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Automation 68%
- ✓ PLC 46%
- ✓ Robotics 42%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 37%
- Python 33%
- ✓ Root cause 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Anduril Industries
We found 3 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Andy → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa
157 other open roles at this site · 3 people we found in controls roles at Anduril Industries.
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- Principal Power Controls Engineer · Controls · Senior
- Quality Specialist · Quality · Specialist
- Product Quality Engineer · Quality
- Quality Engineering Specialist · Quality
- Senior Product Quality Engineer, Core Tech · Quality · Senior
Full description from Anduril IndustriesAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Required qualifications
- ✓Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
- ✓Must be US security clearance eligible
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering,
Electrical Engineering, or equivalent and relevant experience
- ✓2+ years of experience in controls and automation in a production environment
- ✓Strong in Allen Bradly PLC programming
- ✓24v, 120v and 480v electrical troubleshooting
- ✓Must be able to read, interpret and modify electrical drawings using AutoCAD Electrical
- ✓Proficient knowledge of ethernet based communication protocols
Preferred qualifications
- ✓Knowledge of machine guarding methods and standards
- ✓Knowledge of NFPA70, NFPA70E, NFPA79 and UL508A
- ✓TL508A MTR Certification
- ✓Proficient in servo drive and VFD configuration, PID tuning, STO/SS, etc
- ✓Familiar with electrical design CAD software
$132,000 — $175,000 USD
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:
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 .
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.
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 serv
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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
Anduril’s Manufacturing Automation is seeking a Sustaining Controls Engineer to join our team. The Manufacturing Automation team is responsible for the design, integration, deployment and sustainment of automated manufacturing systems across Anduril factories. As a member of this team, you will have the opportunity to help define what production automation looks like for Anduril at a national scale.
What you’ll do
- •Debug PLC logic with an emphasis keeping production running. Using lessons learned to drive continuous improvement of Andurils standards
- •Enforce internal standards for control systems architectures, regulatory compliance, and safety buyoffs
- •Integrate internal and external manufacturing software into automation equipment and production lines
- •Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for automation failures, ensuring rapid resolution and long-term reliability
- •Design functional HMIs/SCADA screens, that are in line with Anduril internal branding standards using Ignition by Inductive Automation
- •Partner with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot equipment issues, reduce downtime, and drive continuous improvement initiatives
- •Must be willing to work off shift or irregular hours
