Principal Mechanical Engineer

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with omniscient systems purpose-built for today’s realities. Designed and built by top U.S. military veterans and Silicon Valley innovators, CHAOS Industries’ products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats. In a world where technological threats move at unprecedented speed, CHAOS Industries delivers advanced sensing and detection solutions that give the ultimate advantage: time.

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised $1B in total funding from leading investors including 8VC, Accel, and NEA. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.

Role Overview:

We are seeking an experienced mechanical design engineer to join our dynamic team in Los Angeles. The candidate will be responsible for providing innovative design solutions for integrating ruggedized electronics, effectors, and launchers into ground and sea mobile platforms. The ideal candidate will possess relevant industry experience integrating military hardware into mobile vehicles and be self-directed.  This is a full-time position on-site in Hawthorne, CA.

Responsibilities: 

• Mechanical design and integration of military electronics and structures onto ground vehicles and ships
• Development of ruggedized military hardware, ensuring compliance with relevant standards and requirements
• Utilize CAD software (SolidWorks) to create detailed 3D models, drawings, and assemblies
• Support prototyping, testing, and validation of designs in laboratory and field environments
• Use hand calculations, finite element analyses (FEA), and computer-aided designs (CAD) to ensure all hardware meets or exceeds internal and customer requirements
• Lead design reviews and hardware qualification
• Create installation drawings and interface control documents
• Serve as technical interface with vendors, suppliers, and customers
• Anticipated domestic travel: 10% of the time

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field
• 8 years of experience with CAD and FEA software packages in a professional setting
• Strong knowledge of industry practices, drafting standards, and drawing notes for military and commercial hardware design documentation
• Experience with designing for manufacturability
• Proficiency in Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Hands-on experience with hardware integration
• Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Requirements:

• Master’s Degree or PhD in a STEM field
• Experience designing and integrating vehicle mounted structures, gimbals, or launchers
• Experience with designing and integrating gimbals and mechanisms
• Experience with SolidWorks for designing parts and assemblies
• Experience with at least one commercial FEA or multiphysics simulation package (NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS, CFD codes, COMSOL, etc.)
• Experience interpreting and applying military specifications and standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, and other military standards)
• Familiarity with military-style connectors (e.g., mil-circular 38999, ARINC, micro-D)
• Ability to design cable harness and generate electrical schematics and pin diagrams
• Experience with prototyping, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and other fabrication techniques.
• Experience developing concepts for proposals and writing proposals

Why CHAOS?

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401k ( 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Our Perks: Free daily lunch, ‘No meeting Fridays’, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
• Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
• Team Growth: 200 employees and counting across 5 global offices
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The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a 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.

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