Director, Talent Acquisition - Emerging Talent & Programs

We’re looking for a bold, strategic leader to reinvent how Anduril attracts and develops the next generation of talent. As Director of Talent Pipelines & Programs, you’ll have the mandate—and the runway—to build pathways that go far beyond traditional university recruiting.
Your focus will be on engineering internships, partnerships with universities and colleges, technical schools, and high school vocational programs that can supply the skills we need in engineering, manufacturing, and production. Over time, you’ll also shape long-term outreach strategies that may extend into other talent pools as part of a broader workforce development vision.
This is a high-visibility role with senior stakeholders and strong opinions, so the right leader will thrive under pressure, think creatively, and influence with confidence. If you want the autonomy to design bold programs and create pathways that truly shape the workforce of the future, this is the role for you.
This role will be based out of Costa Mesa, CA, Boston, MA, Seattle, WA or Columbus, OH.

Strategy & Program Design

• Own and reinvent current strategy for early and emerging talent to bring, fresh and non traditional ideas to the table.
• Build out innovative programs spanning internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, technical school pipelines, and high school vocational partnerships.
• Define and execute our talent pipeline strategy across engineering, manufacturing and other key functional areas of the business.
• Develop a phased approach to long-term pipeline building, with K–12 outreach as a future growth area.

Partnerships & External Engagement

• Forge strong partnerships with colleges, universities, technical schools, and vocational programs.
• Expand our reach to high school-level technical and vocational tracks that align with workforce needs.
• Represent Anduril externally as a thought leader in workforce development and talent pipelines.

Execution & Measurement

• Scale existing engineering internship programs into high-impact, conversion-focused experiences.
• Design and deliver measurable outcomes for all programs, using data to demonstrate ROI and business impact.
• Continuously iterate and innovate based on results, market trends, and stakeholder input.

Leadership & Influence

• Partner with executives and senior leaders to align programs with workforce needs and long-term talent strategy.
• Operate with independence, making bold recommendations and driving consensus in a high-expectation, quant-focused culture.
• Lead, coach, and develop a small but high-performing team, building both individual careers and organizational capability.

• Skilled in building and scaling early career, emerging talent, or workforce development programs.
• Experienced in forging partnerships with universities, colleges, technical schools, and high school vocational programs.
• Strong people leader with a proven ability to develop teams and elevate performance.
• Data-driven operator who uses metrics to analyze effectiveness and communicate ROI.
• Adept at influencing executives and navigating environments with competing priorities.
• Comfortable balancing long-term strategy with hands-on execution in fast-paced, high-pressure settings.

• 10+ years of experience in Talent Acquisition, Workforce Development, or related fields.
• 5+ years leading early career, emerging talent, or technical workforce programs.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated success building partnerships with universities, technical schools, and vocational programs.
• Proven track record of scaling programs in engineering, manufacturing, or production-heavy industries.
• Strong analytical skills; ability to design and manage metrics-driven programs.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.