Associate Director, Business Development, Maritime (Copperhead)

Company: Anduril Industries
Location: Costa Mesa
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

ABOUT THE TEAM Anduril Maritime delivers platforms, systems, and integrated effects in the maritime domain. Our autonomous vehicles (sub-surface and surface) are the cornerstone of these capabilities, and we continually strive to push the boundaries of the possible in terms of endurance, autonomy and mission capability. The Maritime team develops and maintains core products and payloads, and adapts and applies those products to serve a wide variety of defense, IC and commercial customers in US and international markets. ABOUT THE JOB The Maritime Division builds integrated autonomous maritime systems, including surface and undersea vehicles, subsea sensing, and kinetic payloads, all powered by our Lattice platform. These capabilities provide persistent detection, tracking, and mission execution for both commercial and defense applications. We are seeking an Associate Director, Business Development, Copperhead, to join our rapidly growing Business Development team in Washington, DC. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to deliver affordable, high speed Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (AUV) to commercial and defense customers. You will develop and deliver a strategy to field the Copperhead family with key operational customers in high volumes. Your responsibilities will include shaping hardware product roadmaps and leading capture campaigns to secure contracts and deliver capability. This role requires a deep understanding of undersea commercial operations, undersea kill chains and the challenges of subsea operations. You must have a proven track record in influencing product roadmaps and collaborating with multiple program offices, services, and international partners to deliver capabilities. If you have a strategic perspective on maritime operations, a successful product strategy background, and experience winning customer-funded projects, this role is for you. WHAT YOU’LL DO Generate and capture business opportunities. The BD team is ultimately responsible for growing revenue. You will support the growth team in identifying, pursuing, and shaping future opportunities for our Undersea Reconnaissance and Strike portfolio. You will grow a deep understanding of the existing and prospective client base, know the current and planned programmatic and technical roadmap, and be cognizant of the current and changing competitive landscape. You will plan, initiate, and manage continuous engagements with current clients and prospective customers and monitor buying cycles for opportunities. You will support proposals and new customer efforts, including authoring and reviewing RFI, RFP, RFWP, and other request responses and support the growth and capture teams in closing on new business. Grow existing business . You will partner with adjacent business lines and product engineers to identify opportunities for business growth with current clients. This doesn’t just include expanding on current work, but interfacing with existing partners to explore new opportunity areas by sustaining and building on the strong foundation of client relationships. Communicate our value to clients. BD team members represent Anduril to a broad audience: clients, partners, competitors, and the interested public. You must project the company’s ethos, conveying insights that illustrate our approach to building next-generation defense technology and our competitive edges in doing so. Inform product development. You will be a liaison between a current or prospective client and the engineering organization, and as such must be able to translate their problem set into an actionable internal plan and product roadmap. You will need to interpret and convey various client needs to the growth and engineering teams, help to inform and manage priorities and execution, keep Business Line stakeholders informed, and make sure that performance stays aligned to key milestones. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate will be a proven development and growth leader with prior experience in commercial or DoD Capture and Sales, demonstrating a track record of building, executing, and winning business capture strategies, particularly with an emphasis on the US Navy as a customer. Demonstrated knowledge in defense acquisitions, with a history of zero-to-one defense program growth a plus. Experience in the technical, programmatic, and operational challenges of developing and deploying underwater vehicles, torpedoes and high speed systems. Demonstrated high-energy, high-ownership leader who will drive performance and exhibit strong management skills with a high level of emotional intelligence. Must be able to work in a fast-paced, highly entrepreneurial, and creative environment, and be able to build, adapt, and implement new and innovative approaches to market. Excellent writing, communication skills with experience briefing senior executives and customers. Demonstrated knowledge of relevant DoD / IC / Commercial programs, platforms and payloads, to include enabling technologies, systems integration and software development. Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, systems engineering, physics, robotics, or computer science. Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Expertise in Undersea Warfare, Distributed Maritime Operations or complex engineering systems. Experience with government business development, government contract structures, and government proposal processes. Prior military or contracting experience, or experience in DoD or Government. Ability to travel 20-50%, including International. Masters or PhD in electrical engineering, physics or computer science. Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance. 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/ .

Keywords: Anduril Industries, Camarillo , Associate Director, Business Development, Maritime (Copperhead), Engineering , Costa Mesa, California