Senior AI Software Engineer Manager - Internal Platform

As a Senior AI Software Engineer Manager at Anduril Industries, you will lead a team of 8-12 engineers and focus on building core platform services that empower developers and other users throughout the organization. Your role will encompass driving the technical direction for critical services like AI infrastructure and centralized permissions while ensuring that high-quality, scalable, and reliable platform services are delivered. Additionally, you will collaborate with product and engineering teams to define and execute the roadmap, contributing to the overall technical culture of the organization.

To qualify for the Senior AI Software Engineer Manager role at Anduril Industries, candidates should have at least 8 years of software engineering experience, including 3 years in a leadership role. A strong background in building large-scale distributed systems is essential, as well as experience managing teams focused on developer tools or platform services. Excellent communication skills are a must, alongside a proven track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget. Furthermore, the ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance is required.

Candidates for the Senior AI Software Engineer Manager role at Anduril Industries can enhance their profiles with skills in Node.js, React, and familiarity with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure. Additional knowledge of AI/ML technologies and their integration into developer workflows is highly advantageous. Experience with Agile methodologies and contributions to open-source projects can also set candidates apart, as well as an advanced degree in Computer Science or a related field.

At Anduril Industries, career development opportunities for a Senior AI Software Engineer Manager are abundant. You’ll have the chance to lead talented engineers and influence the technical direction of platform services within the organization. With access to a professional development stipend and top-tier benefits, you will be able to continue honing your skills in a dynamic and innovative environment. Furthermore, the role allows for significant influence over the engineering culture, presenting a unique opportunity to drive organizational change.

Anduril Industries offers a competitive benefits package for the Senior AI Software Engineer Manager position that includes platinum healthcare benefits, generous PTO, and 16 weeks of paid caregiver and wellness leave. Employees also receive mental health resources, professional development stipends, and company-funded commuter benefits. With a focus on work-life balance and family planning support, Anduril ensures that employees have the resources they need to thrive both professionally and personally.

When discussing your experience managing software engineering teams, highlight specific achievements and the size of the teams you’ve led. Talk about your leadership style—whether you prioritize mentorship, technical guidance, or collaboration—and provide examples of how you’ve motivated your team to meet challenging goals. Demonstrate your ability to foster a high-performance culture and how you measure success.

In answering this question, you should detail your approach to defining and implementing technical strategies for a platform. Share specific methodologies you've used, such as gathering stakeholder feedback, analyzing usage patterns, and aligning with company objectives. Discuss how you prioritize projects, ensuring that your team focuses on scalable and impactful initiatives while staying agile and adaptable to change.

Highlight your processes for maintaining high standards of quality and reliability, such as coding standards, code reviews, automated testing, and continuous integration. Discuss how you instill a quality mindset in your team and your approach to balancing speed with thoroughness to meet deadlines without compromising on quality.

When answering this question, cover your familiarity with various cloud platforms and their services, such as AWS, GCP, and Azure. Explain specific projects where you’ve successfully integrated cloud architecture into your platform solutions, focusing on scalability, cost-efficiency, and performance. Mention how you address cloud security and compliance considerations in your decision-making process.

Share your strategies for effective communication and collaboration across departments, emphasizing your proactive engagement with teams like product and design. Provide examples of past initiatives where you collaborated with various stakeholders to achieve a successful outcome, showcasing your ability to align different perspectives to drive project success.

Prepare a specific example of a complex project, detailing the challenges you faced and how you tackled them. Discuss your planning processes, resource allocation, and stakeholder communication which ultimately led to the project's successful completion within the deadline and budget constraints. This will demonstrate your project management skills and ability to deliver results.

Discuss your experience implementing Agile methodologies within your teams, including specific frameworks like Scrum or Kanban. Provide insights into how Agile practices have improved team productivity and adaptability. Share examples of how you’ve facilitated Agile ceremonies and fostered a culture focused on iterative development and continuous improvement.

Mentorship is key to team growth. Discuss your approach to providing mentorship, whether through regular one-on-one meetings, pairing junior engineers with more experienced colleagues, or creating development plans tailored to their interests. Share any success stories of junior engineers you've guided toward more senior roles as a testament to your effectiveness as a mentor.

This is an opportunity to show your knowledge of current AI trends, such as advancements in machine learning, natural language processing, and automation. Discuss how these trends can be leveraged within your platform, the implications for development workflows, and your vision for integrating next-generation AI capabilities into the engineering processes at Anduril.

When answering this question, reflect on Anduril's mission and how it aligns with your own values and interests in defense technology. Highlight what excites you about the company's focus on cutting-edge innovations and the unique opportunity to impact national security. Demonstrating your genuine interest in the role and the company's mission will help you stand out as a passionate candidate.