Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Anduril Industries

Location: Costa Mesa, California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-05-28T21:15:53

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design end-to-end user experiences for critical manufacturing and production software, focusing on enhancing immersion, efficiency, and consistency across the Forge platform.

• Drive product and design strategy through roadmap shaping, ideation, prototyping, user research, and iterative testing to deliver impactful user-centered solutions.

• Develop and mature a scalable design system with reusable components for mobile, tablet, and desktop, ensuring consistency and efficiency across diverse environments.

• Utilize storytelling and clear articulation to align stakeholders and evangelize design decisions, establishing design tenets that evolve into strategic design work.

• Engage in on-site user research, embracing the Gemba philosophy to gain firsthand understanding of user needs within manufacturing and high-rate production settings.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on the design of software for hardware production and delivery, emphasizing the unique challenges of manufacturing environments. The integration of "Gemba philosophy" suggests a strong emphasis on understanding user workflows in their actual work context, a critical aspect for impactful product design in industrial settings.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process for a suite of Forge applications, encompassing user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and final design implementation.

• Contribute significantly to product roadmap discussions, offering design-led insights and strategic recommendations to shape the future of the Forge platform.

• Develop and maintain a robust design system, creating scalable and reusable components that enhance UI consistency, improve developer efficiency, and ensure a cohesive user experience across all Forge applications.

• Conduct user research, including on-site visits to manufacturing floors and production lines, to gather qualitative and quantitative data that informs design decisions and validates proposed solutions.

• Create compelling visual and interaction designs, including micro-interactions and animations, to elevate the user interface and overall user experience of manufacturing and logistics software.

• Advocate for design best practices and evangelize design decisions to cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and operations, using strong storytelling and clear communication.

• Collaborate closely with the central Product Design team to share learnings, contribute to company-wide design standards, and identify opportunities for cross-team synergy.

• Balance the need for immediate tactical design solutions with the long-term vision of building a comprehensive and scalable design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a comprehensive product design role with a strong emphasis on the full design lifecycle, strategic contribution, and the development of a design system tailored for industrial/manufacturing contexts. The mention of "Forge applications" and the "ProductionOS team" indicates a focus on internal tooling for hardware production.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 6+ years of professional software design experience, with a proven track record of designing and shipping user-centered digital products.

Required Skills:

• Mastery of visual design principles, including layout, typography, color theory, and Gestalt principles, with a high attention to detail.

• Strong proficiency in interaction design, including the creation of micro-interactions and animations that enhance user experience and system feedback.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct user research, synthesize findings, and translate user needs into effective design solutions.

• Experience in developing and implementing design systems, including creating reusable components and establishing design guidelines.

• Proficiency with industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe Creative Suite.

• Excellent storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale, process, and impact to diverse stakeholders.

• Experience in creating scalable components for multimodal experiences across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, considering varied environmental constraints.

• Comfort and capability in performing on-site research, understanding the nuances of manufacturing, production, and logistics environments.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with hardware-related industries, including supply chain, manufacturing, or logistics, to better understand user contexts and workflows.

• Understanding of accessibility standards and best practices, and their practical application in design solutions.

• Experience working within an agile development environment.

• Knowledge of front-end development principles to facilitate effective collaboration with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 Years" AI-derived experience level aligns well with the "6+ years" requirement. The inclusion of "Gemba philosophy" in the required skills emphasizes hands-on, in-context user understanding, which is crucial for this specialized design role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive online portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating your process from problem identification to solution implementation.

• Clear examples of multimodal user experiences designed for various devices and environments, highlighting adaptability and user-centricity.

• Demonstrations of your ability to develop and evolve design systems, including examples of reusable components and style guides.

• Case studies that detail your role in product strategy and roadmap shaping, illustrating how design informed business decisions.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly articulate your design process, including user research methodologies, ideation techniques, prototyping approaches, and testing strategies.

• Showcase how you balance short-term tactical design needs with long-term strategic design system goals.

• Present your approach to storytelling and stakeholder alignment, illustrating how you gained buy-in for your design decisions.

• Include examples of how you have collaborated with engineering and product teams to ensure successful design implementation.

• Demonstrate your ability to create scalable components and consider the unique constraints of physical environments like manufacturing floors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are tailored to emphasize the end-to-end design lifecycle, design system development, and the unique context of designing for manufacturing environments. The inclusion of "multimodal experiences" and "scalable components" points to the need for versatile design solutions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $146,000 - $194,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Highly competitive equity grants as part of the total compensation package.

• Top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including comprehensive health insurance.

• Support in health, recovery, and future endeavors through a robust benefits package.

• Additional benefits explored on the company's career page, likely including retirement plans, paid time off, and wellness programs.

Working Hours: Assuming a standard full-time work week of 40 hours, with potential for flexibility depending on project demands and team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly provided and is considered competitive for a Product Designer role with 6+ years of experience in the Costa Mesa, California area. The inclusion of "equity grants" is a significant component of compensation at Anduril, reflecting its growth-stage nature.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Defense Technology / Advanced Manufacturing Software. Anduril Industries is at the forefront of transforming military capabilities with cutting-edge technology, operating in a sector that demands innovation, rapid development, and high reliability.

Company Size: Large (500-1000+ employees). This indicates a well-established organization with structured teams and processes, yet still agile enough to foster innovation.

Founded: 2017. A relatively young company, suggesting a dynamic, fast-paced, and growth-oriented culture with a strong emphasis on innovation and disruption.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be part of the ProductionOS team, which is a sub-team within ArsenalOS. This suggests a specialized focus within a larger operational software division.

• Collaboration is expected with central Product Design teams, indicating a hybrid model where specialized teams contribute to a broader design vision and shared standards.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on AI, autonomy, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology, indicating a data-driven and technologically advanced approach.

• Use of Lattice OS as an AI-powered operating system suggests a focus on integrated, real-time data and command capabilities.

• The Forge platform is described as "home-grown" and "ever-evolving," pointing to an iterative development process and a commitment to internal tool development.

• Adoption of the "Gemba philosophy" for on-site research highlights a commitment to understanding and improving processes directly at the point of work.

Company Website: https://www.anduril.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Anduril's culture is likely characterized by rapid innovation, a mission-driven ethos in the defense sector, and a strong focus on advanced technology. The ProductionOS team's specific mission to accelerate hardware production implies a culture of efficiency, pragmatism, and direct impact on operational outcomes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-to-senior level Product Designer, requiring significant experience (6+ years) and the ability to operate autonomously from discovery through implementation. It involves contributing to strategy and maturing a design system, indicating a level of influence beyond standard execution.

Reporting Structure: The role reports within the ProductionOS team, which is part of ArsenalOS. While the direct reporting manager isn't specified, it's common for such roles to report to a Design Lead, Head of Product Design, or a Product Management lead within their specific product area. Collaboration with the central Product Design team implies a broader design leadership structure.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts the efficiency and throughput of Anduril's hardware production and delivery. By improving the Forge platform, the designer contributes to faster deployment of critical defense technology, directly supporting the company's mission. This role bridges the gap between software design and physical product manufacturing, a crucial intersection for a defense technology company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for manufacturing, supply chain, and industrial environments, becoming a go-to expert in this niche.

• Leadership: Potential to lead design initiatives for new Forge applications or take on more strategic product direction within ProductionOS.

• Design System Evolution: Play a key role in scaling and evolving Anduril's design system, potentially leading design system efforts or contributing to company-wide design standards.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into Product Management or other strategic roles within the company, leveraging a deep understanding of operational workflows.

• Mentorship: As a senior designer, opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant opportunities for impact and growth, particularly for designers interested in the intersection of software and complex physical operations. The "defense technology" context adds a unique mission-driven element to career progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site in Costa Mesa, California. Anduril emphasizes a collaborative environment, suggesting modern office spaces designed to foster interaction and innovation among teams.

Office Location(s): Costa Mesa, California, United States. This location is within the vibrant tech and aerospace ecosystem of Southern California.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is expected to be highly collaborative, with designers working closely with product managers, engineers, and operations stakeholders.

• Access to advanced design tools and technology is implied, given Anduril's focus on cutting-edge development.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with users on manufacturing floors will be a key aspect of the work environment, requiring adaptability and a willingness to engage in hands-on research.

• The environment will likely be fast-paced and mission-oriented, typical of a rapidly growing technology company in the defense sector.

Work Schedule: While the standard work week is likely 40 hours, the nature of product development and hardware production may require flexibility to meet project deadlines and critical milestones. Collaboration across time zones (if applicable to other teams) might also influence scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "on-site" and "Gemba philosophy" indicates a work environment that values in-person collaboration and direct observation of user workflows, which is crucial for designing effective operational software.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation: A deep dive into your online portfolio, where you'll present 2-3 key projects, explaining your process, design decisions, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss your contributions, challenges, and learnings.

• Design Challenge: You may be given a take-home design exercise or a live design problem to solve, evaluating your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to work within constraints.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers or operations leads to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final conversation to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall alignment with the team and company mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your experience with end-to-end design, design systems, and ideally, complex workflows or industrial/manufacturing contexts.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the design decisions made (and why), the challenges encountered, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your research methodologies, ideation techniques, and how you iterated based on feedback and data.

• Showcase Design System Work: If you have experience building or contributing to design systems, dedicate a section or a project to it, detailing component creation, scalability, and implementation.

• Visual Clarity: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. Use high-quality mockups and prototypes.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced errors, increased adoption).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly research Anduril, the ProductionOS team, and the Forge platform to understand the business context and user environment.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a clear, logical design process, even if you can't complete every step. Explain your assumptions and how you would proceed.

• Prioritize: If time is limited, focus on the most critical aspects of the problem and articulate your prioritization strategy.

• Communicate Clearly: Be prepared to present your solution concisely and answer questions about your rationale and trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a strong portfolio review and the ability to articulate design strategy and process. The mention of "stakeholder interviews" and "operations leads" highlights the cross-functional nature of this role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects). Proficiency in at least one of these is essential.

• Design Systems: Experience with tools and methodologies for building, maintaining, and scaling design systems.

• Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack for team communication and project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core design responsibilities of this role, but an understanding of how software integrates with manufacturing execution systems (MES) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems might be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in core design tools like Figma or Sketch is paramount. The emphasis on design systems suggests familiarity with their underlying principles and tooling. Understanding how software integrates into broader operational systems is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to Anduril's mission of transforming military capabilities, fostering a sense of purpose and impact in daily work.

• Innovation & Speed: A culture that values rapid iteration, pushing technological boundaries, and delivering solutions quickly in a dynamic environment.

• Pragmatism & Execution: A focus on building robust, reliable, and effective solutions that directly address operational needs and challenges.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Encouraging open communication and teamwork across disciplines to achieve shared goals, with an emphasis on clear articulation of design rationale.

• User-Centricity & Gemba: A deep respect for the end-user, with a commitment to understanding their needs through direct observation and engagement in their work environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Operations teams to ensure alignment and successful product delivery.

• Emphasis on clear communication and storytelling to bring stakeholders along in the design process.

• A culture of constructive feedback and iterative improvement, where design decisions are debated and refined based on input from various perspectives.

• Cross-functional integration is key, with designers expected to understand the technical constraints and operational realities faced by other teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "mission-driven," "innovation," and "pragmatism" reflects the high-stakes nature of defense technology. The integration of "Gemba" into their values underscores a practical, user-focused approach to problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Design Systems and Tactical Needs: Effectively managing the tension between building a scalable, long-term design system and delivering immediate, project-specific design solutions.

• Designing for Complex Workflows: Creating intuitive user experiences for intricate manufacturing and production processes that may involve specialized hardware and unique environments.

• On-site Research Logistics: Navigating the practicalities of conducting research in active manufacturing facilities, including safety protocols and access.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and buy-in for design decisions across diverse teams with varying priorities and technical backgrounds.

• Rapidly Evolving Technology: Keeping pace with Anduril's rapid technological advancements and integrating new capabilities into user-friendly interfaces.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Manufacturing UX: Gaining specialized expertise in designing for industrial, production, and supply chain environments.

• Advanced Design System Development: Contributing to and potentially leading efforts to scale and refine a sophisticated design system for a growing product suite.

• Product Strategy Influence: Opportunities to shape product roadmaps and define design vision for critical operational software.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Exposure to advanced AI, computer vision, and hardware engineering principles through close collaboration.

• Industry Exposure: Understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within the defense technology sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are specific to the role's context, highlighting the need for adaptability, strong process management, and effective communication in a complex operational environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance short-term design needs with long-term design system goals. How did you approach it?" (Focus on your process for prioritization and system thinking.)

• "Walk us through a complex workflow you've designed for. What were the key user pain points, and how did your design address them?" (Prepare a case study that highlights your process, user research, and impact.)

• "How do you use storytelling to advocate for your design decisions with stakeholders who may not have a design background?" (Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and persuasively.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Anduril's mission and the defense technology industry?" (Research the company's mission, values, and recent news.)

• "How do you approach on-site user research, especially in environments like manufacturing floors?" (Discuss your understanding of the Gemba philosophy and practical research methods.)

• "Describe your experience working with engineering teams. How do you ensure successful implementation of your designs?" (Highlight your collaborative approach and understanding of technical constraints.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Diverse Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that represent your breadth of skills, including a strong example of end-to-end product design and one demonstrating design system expertise.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific contributions, the design process, key decisions, and measurable outcomes or lessons learned.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, research findings, and trade-offs made.

• Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your presentation to ensure a smooth flow, clear articulation, and confident delivery.

• Highlight Adaptability: If possible, showcase how your designs adapt to different contexts or user needs, especially relevant for the multimodal aspect of this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong design process, strategic thinking, effective communication, and an understanding of the unique challenges of designing for industrial and manufacturing environments.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Curate and Optimize Your Portfolio: Ensure your online portfolio clearly showcases 2-3 of your most relevant projects, emphasizing end-to-end design processes, design system contributions, and any experience with complex workflows or industrial contexts. Quantify impact where possible.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 6+ years of software design experience, specific skills in visual and interaction design, design systems, user research, and proficiency with tools like Figma or Sketch. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for Case Studies: Be ready to walk through your portfolio projects in detail, explaining your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and the outcomes. Practice articulating your process and impact concisely.

• Research Anduril Industries: Understand their mission, products, and the defense technology sector. Familiarize yourself with the ProductionOS team's role and the Forge platform to demonstrate genuine interest and contextual understanding.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.