Staff Program Manager, Software at Anduril in Costa Mesa, CA

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 Tactical Recon & Strike (TRS) is a division with two missions: 1) build highly capable autonomous drones, and 2) build solid rocket motors at scale. We transform products like Ghost, Anvil, Bolt, and Altius from early concepts into fully operational capabilities by partnering closely with specialist engineering, operations, and production teams. Through our Anduril Rocket Motor Systems (RMS) team, we design and manufacture solid rocket motors using advanced materials, proprietary formulations, and high-volume production methods—delivering safe, reliable propulsion systems that support a wide range of mission requirements. TRS brings together software engineers and hardware engineers excited to build across a diverse and powerful portfolio—from autonomous aerial systems to high-performance solid rocket motors. Our teams contribute to highly capable autonomous robotics systems and propulsion products that operate reliably in the most demanding mission environments. We work in close coordination with specialist teams to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers. ABOUT THE ROLE We are seeking a Software Program Manager to serve as the strategic product leader for our software-enabled defense systems within the TRS division. This role sits at the critical intersection of customer needs, technical execution, and business growth—defining the future of our software platforms that power autonomous systems and mission-critical operations. As a Software Program Manager, you will own the product vision and roadmap for software capabilities across our tactical systems portfolio. You will be the voice of the customer internally and the face of product strategy externally, working closely with Growth teams to shape customer strategy while partnering with engineering and Technical Program Managers (TPMs) to ensure flawless execution. The ideal candidate combines deep technical fluency with strategic product thinking and an understanding of defense customer requirements—particularly in the military sales space. You will translate complex operational challenges into clear product requirements, drive prioritization decisions backed by data and customer insight, and champion a culture of continuous improvement and customer obsession. Success in this position hinges on your ability to: Own the Product Vision: Define and maintain a clear, compelling product roadmap that aligns technical capabilities with customer missions and business objectives. Bridge Technical & Business Worlds: Translate between engineering teams building sophisticated autonomous systems and defense customers operating in high-stakes environments. Drive Strategic Growth: Partner with Growth teams to shape customer engagement strategy, inform capture planning, and influence product-market fit for military applications. Execute with Excellence: Coordinate seamlessly with TPMs and engineering teams to ensure on-time, high-quality delivery of software capabilities that meet rigorous defense standards. WHAT YOU'LL DO Product Strategy & Roadmap Ownership Own and maintain the software product roadmap for TRS systems, ensuring alignment with customer needs, technical feasibility, and business priorities. Define product vision and strategy based on deep understanding of military operational requirements, competitive landscape, and emerging technology trends. Make data-driven prioritization decisions, balancing customer requests, technical debt, platform investments, and innovation initiatives. Establish and track key product metrics (KPIs) that measure adoption, performance, customer satisfaction, and business impact. Customer & Growth Partnership Partner closely with Growth teams to develop customer engagement strategies, inform proposal development, and shape capture plans for key opportunities. Serve as the primary product voice in customer interactions, translating operational challenges into product capabilities and conducting product demonstrations for military stakeholders. Build deep relationships with military end-users and program offices to understand mission requirements, operational workflows, and capability gaps. Leverage military sales experience and defense domain knowledge to anticipate customer needs and position products effectively in the competitive landscape. Technical Leadership & Execution Work with internal engineering teams to translate product vision into detailed requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria. Coordinate with Technical Program Managers (TPMs) to ensure development execution aligns with roadmap commitments and delivery timelines. Make technical trade-off decisions in collaboration with engineering leadership, balancing performance, schedule, cost, and risk. Champion software engineering best practices, including continuous integration/deployment, automated testing, and design for reliability and maintainability. Cross-Functional Leadership Serve as the central coordination point between engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and business development teams. Lead product reviews, design reviews, and customer feedback sessions to drive alignment and rapid iteration. Identify and resolve cross-functional blockers that impede product development or customer delivery. Communicate product status, risks, and decisions clearly to executive leadership and key stakeholders. Product Operations & Continuous Improvement Implement robust product development processes that enable scalability, predictability, and quality. Establish feedback loops with customers, field operations, and support teams to drive continuous product improvement. Lead initiatives to improve software delivery velocity, reduce defects, and enhance user experience. Drive operational excellence in product management practices, including requirements management, release planning, and product analytics. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related technical field. 5+ years of experience in software product management, technical program management, or software engineering leadership roles, preferably in defense, aerospace, or complex hardware-software systems. Strong technical foundation with the ability to engage credibly with software engineers on architecture, algorithms, and implementation approaches. Demonstrated experience defining product strategy, building product roadmaps, and driving product delivery in fast-paced, customer-focused environments. Proven track record of working directly with customers to gather requirements, validate solutions, and drive adoption. Experience coordinating cross-functional teams including engineering, operations, and business development to deliver complex products. Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions in ambiguous situations. Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and translate customer needs into technical requirements. Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field. Military experience or demonstrated experience in the military sales/defense contractor space, with understanding of DoD acquisition processes, program of record lifecycles, and military customer organizations. Experience with autonomous systems, robotics, drone technology, or embedded software systems. Background in Agile/Scrum product development methodologies and modern software development practices. Experience with defense-specific requirements such as ITAR compliance, cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., RMF), and military standards (e.g., MIL-STD-882E). Prior experience in both product management and engineering roles, demonstrating the ability to bridge strategic and technical domains. Track record of successful product launches in highly regulated or safety-critical industries. Experience working in high-growth startups or innovation-focused organizations within the defense industrial base. Familiarity with product analytics tools, roadmapping software, and requirements management systems. US Salary Range $166,000—$220,000 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/. 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.