Test Operations Manager

andurilindustries

Costa Mesa, California, United States · Costa Mesa · United States

Posted Aug 4, 2026

Full-time
Hardware Platform : Hardware Test Operations : Dev Test

Job 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

Enterprise Test Capabilities (ETC) develops, operates, and scales the shared physical test infrastructure, technical expertise, and execution systems required to validate Anduril's products across the company. The team provides specialized testing that is capital-intensive, technically complex, safety-critical, or broadly reusable across multiple programs, spanning environmental testing (thermal, vibration, shock, HALT, TVAC), battery testing (cell/module/pack characterization, abuse testing, BMS validation), propulsion testing (engine test cells, thrust/torque measurement, fuel/feed systems), aerodynamic testing (wind tunnel operations, flow visualization, force/moment measurement), and structural testing. We partner with product test teams from early development through qualification and sustainment to identify technical risk, select appropriate test methods, execute testing safely, and generate trusted engineering evidence. The test operations team within ETC owns the lab facilities, equipment fleet, calibration program, and operational support team that keeps this diverse test enterprise running.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are seeking a Test Operations Manager to provide dedicated operational leadership across ETC's diverse portfolio of physical test laboratories spanning multiple buildings and sites. The purpose of this role is to achieve excellent operational oversight, solving scheduling bottlenecks, clearing inconsistent equipment readiness, and preventing reactive maintenance cycles. This person will serve as the single point of accountability for lab operations, directly managing the calibration technicians, lab administrator, and lab coordinators. They will own the master test schedule across all test domains and ensure that every program team can get the facility time and equipment access they need, when they need it.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Directly manage a team of calibration technicians, a lab administrator, and lab coordinators, including hiring, performance reviews, professional development, and day-to-day direction
Develop staffing plans to support current and projected lab utilization demands across all test domains, including shift coverage and surge capacity
Support the scaling of ETC's physical footprint, assisting with capacity expansion plans, new test facility standup, and ensuring operational readiness as the organization grows across sites.
Own and maintain the master lab schedule across all test facilities spanning multiple buildings and sites, and supporting instrumentation and data acquisition systems
Resolve scheduling conflicts between competing program priorities, balancing urgency, contractual deadlines, and resource availability across multiple test disciplines
Drive toward and sustain a 75% equipment utilization target across all test assets
Define, track, and report operational metrics including utilization rates, schedule adherence, equipment downtime, and backlog across the full equipment fleet
Oversee equipment maintenance, calibration status, and operational readiness for all lab assets spanning the full enterprise test capabilities
Establish and manage preventive and corrective maintenance programs to minimize unplanned downtime across diverse test equipment
Coordinate with external vendors for equipment repair, calibration services, and new equipment installation
Maintain accurate asset inventory and equipment lifecycle records
Develop, document, and enforce standard operating procedures for lab operations, scheduling, and equipment use
Ensure compliance with all safety protocols, PPE requirements, and hazardous material handling procedures across test environments with varying risk profiles
Partner with EHS to maintain laboratory safety certifications and audit readiness
Serve as the primary point of contact for program teams requesting lab time, test support, or calibration services
Provide regular status reporting to senior leadership on lab operations, capacity, and risks
Coordinate procurement and supply chain activities for lab consumables, spare parts, and capital equipment
Lead programmatic layout planning for labs as necessary, coordinating mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) requirements with facilities engineering to ensure infrastructure supports current and planned test capabilities.
Manage lab operations workflows through JIRA, including creating and triaging tickets for maintenance requests, calibration tasks, equipment issues, and scheduling intake, ensuring visibility and accountability across the team.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

5+ years of experience in operations management, lab management, or facility management in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or physical test environments
Demonstrated experience directly managing technical teams including technicians, coordinators, or similar roles
Proven track record of managing complex scheduling across shared resources with competing stakeholders
Understanding of physical test laboratory operations, calibration requirements, and test equipment maintenance
Experience developing and implementing standard operating procedures and process documentation
Strong analytical skills with the ability to define, track, and act on operational metrics
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interface across engineering, program, and leadership teams
Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and drive results with minimal oversight
Strong attention to detail with a commitment to compliance, safety, and quality standards
Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR (U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or granted refugee/asylee status)
Knowledge of OSHA regulations and laboratory safety requirements, including hazard identification, PPE standards, and compliance in physical test environments.
Experience using ticketing systems (e.g., JIRA) to manage operational workflows, maintenance requests, and team task tracking.
In this role, you will be subject to pre-employment and randomized substance screening, as required by the Company.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience managing physical test laboratories, reliability labs, or calibration laboratories, particularly environments with diverse test disciplines
Knowledge of military and industry test standards including MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-202, ISO 17025, and ANSI/NCSL Z540
Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI) or developmental test programs
Familiarity with the operational requirements of diverse test equipment
Background in high-growth or defense technology environments with evolving requirements
Experience with capability development or standing up new test facilities
PMP, Lean, or Six Sigma certification

US Salary Range

$146,000—$194,000 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.