Software Engineering Manager, VMS

Company: Anduril Industries
Location: Costa Mesa
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

About The Team The Vehicle Management Systems (VMS) software team, which is part of Anduril's Tactical Recon and Strike (TRS) division, develops flight computer vehicle software for small drones (Group 1–3). Are you passionate about avionics and flight software? Join us in refining the foundation for a common Vehicle Management System (VMS) that can be used across Group 1–3 UAVs. 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. The right person for this role has experience in flight control software and embedded Linux or RTOS development. Joining early means you’ll directly shape how we scale—both in the volume of drones we build and the breadth of missions they can fly. Our engineers move quickly from simulation to flight and thrive on solving real-world problems that matter. About The Job Anduril is seeking aSoftware Engineering Manager to join our team of exceptionally talented professionals dedicated to delivering mission outcomes through technology. As a Software Engineering Manager, you will apply a broad understanding of organizational priorities, workforce planning, and financial goals to lead your teams toward defined objectives. You will play a pivotal role in shaping procedures that influence how flight software development and delivery is done across teams and disciplines within the TRS division. Decisions made in this role will impact broader team effectiveness, operating methods, and critical business outcomes for our Group 1-3 UAV programs. This technical leadership position focuses on developing cutting-edge flight control software for our UAVs, encompassing areas from flight controls to redundancy management. You will navigate a wide range of issues by evaluating multiple factors and considering broader context, applying operational policies and judgment to choose the right methods for solving complex problems. 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 $220,000 - $292,000 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: Healthcare Benefits US Roles: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you. UK & AUS Roles: We cover full cost of medical insurance premiums for you and your dependents. IE Roles: We offer an annual contribution toward your private health insurance for you and your dependents. Additional Benefits Income Protection : Anduril covers life and disability insurance for all employees. Generous time off : Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December. Caregiver & Wellness Leave is available to care for family members, bond with a new baby, or address your own medical needs. Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments (e.g., IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carriers, along with resources to support you and your partner from planning to parenting. Mental Health Resources: Access free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy and life coaching. Additional work-life services, such as legal and financial support, are also available. Professional Development: Annual reimbursement for professional development Commuter Benefits: Company-funded commuter benefits based on your region. Relocation Assistance: Available depending on role eligibility. Retirement Savings Plan US Roles: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after-tax (mega backdoor Roth) options. UK & IE Roles: Pension plan with employer match. AUS Roles: Superannuation plan. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. 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/ .

Keywords: Anduril Industries, Azusa , Software Engineering Manager, VMS, Engineering , Costa Mesa, California