Senior Program Manager, People Operations at Anduril… · Costa Mesa

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 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 JOB

As our Sr. Program Manager, People Operations, you will own the systems, processes, and controls that ensure operational excellence in payroll, compensation, and compliance at Anduril. In this role, you will partner with leadership, Finance, Legal, and Security teams to design and implement robust, scalable solutions that protect our most critical people data and ensure regulatory compliance—including SOX controls and security frameworks. Your work will span payroll accuracy and timeliness, compensation program integrity, SOX compliance testing and remediation, and security controls implementation—all in pursuit of operational rigor and risk mitigation as Anduril scales.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own program management for payroll, compensation, and compliance system implementation from end-to-end, defining a solution to implementation. You will be handed ambiguous, complex problems with significant regulatory and financial implications. If this does not excite you, this is not the role for you.
• Drive operational excellence in payroll processing,
• Oversee end-to-end payroll processing and compensation administration as part of a year-long HCM implementation, including base salary changes, equity grants, bonus calculations, and commission processing, ensuring data integrity audit readiness, and compliance across multi-state and multi-entity payroll operations.
• Own and maintain SOX compliance controls related to payroll and compensation processes, including documentation, testing, remediation, and continuous monitoring of key controls.
• Partner with Internal Audit, Finance, and external auditors to prepare for and support SOX audits, control testing, and evidence gathering.
• Design and implement security controls for sensitive people data, including access management, segregation of duties, data privacy protocols, and system security configurations.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive process documentation, standard operating procedures, and control matrices for all compliance activities.
• Act as subject matter expert and liaison to Finance, Legal, Security, and external partners on compliance matters.
• Drive change management initiatives related to system upgrades, process changes, and new control implementations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of proven and progressive experience in program management for core people processes like payroll operations, compensation administration, and HR compliance, with at least 2+ years managing complex programs or leading initiatives.
• Strong hands-on experience with SOX compliance, including control design, testing, documentation, and audit support.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and maintaining security controls in HR/payroll systems, including access management and data privacy protocols.
• Deep knowledge of multi-state payroll processing, tax compliance, wage and hour laws, and compensation regulations.
• Strong proven experience with enterprise HCM and payroll systems (Workday, ADP, or similar platforms).
• Technical proficiency with system configurations, reporting, and data integrity validation.
• Experience with pay equity analysis, compensation benchmarking, and equity administration.
• Exceptional analytical skills with keen attention to detail and ability to identify control weaknesses and remediation opportunities.
• Strong project management capabilities with ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to translate technical compliance requirements for diverse audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in high-growth technology or defense industry environments.
• Professional certifications such as CPP (Certified Payroll Professional), FPC, or SOX/audit-related credentials.
• Experience with equity compensation administration (RSUs, stock options, ESPP).
• Familiarity with federal contractor compliance requirements (OFCCP, E-Verify, etc.).
• Background in IT security frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001) as applied to HR systems.

US Salary Range

$129,000—$171,000 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 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 services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.