Senior Controls Engineer, Manufacturing Automation

Anduril Industries · Costa Mesa, CA

Level: Senior
Team: Controls
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 6+ years
Industry: Aerospace & defense
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A senior 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: 6+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Root cause, PLC, Robotics, Automation, AutoCAD, MES
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 $124k–$179k.

Median of the low and high ends of 56 live postings that list pay, out of 109 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 108 other live controls postings in California.

Base pay: Not listed in this posting
Experience asked: More than usual (6+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

✓ Automation 66%
✓ PLC 47%
✓ Robotics 43%
Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 38%
Python 33%
✓ Root cause 20%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 6+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

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
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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
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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

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All 157 roles at Anduril Industries →

Full description from Anduril IndustriesAs posted on their careers site.Show

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

✓6+ years of experience in controls and automation in a production environment
✓Strong in PLC programming on both Allen Bradley & Siemens platforms
✓Knowledge of NFPA70, NFPA70E, NFPA79 and UL508A
✓Proficient with electrical design CAD software (AutoCAD Elec, Eplan)
✓Proficient in Ignition SCADA development
✓Proficient in servo drive and VFD configuration, PID tuning, STO/SS, etc
✓Knowledge of IT/OT systems and delineation
✓Experience integrating with MES and QMS

Preferred qualifications

✓UL508A MTR Certification
✓Ignition Gold Certification
✓TUV FS Engineer Certification (Functional Safety of Machinery)

$147,000 — $196,000 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/ .

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Show full description ↓

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 team is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to join our team. The Manufacturing Automation team is responsible for the design, integration, and deployment 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

•Design, develop, document and manage controls systems for manufacturing – this includes initial factory ideation, commissioning, FAT/SAT and hand-off to sustainment teams
•Architect, write, and debug PLC logic with an emphasis on object oriented programs that are organized, structured, documented, maintainable, and reusable for high-volume manufacturing applications
•Generate and 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