Manufacturing, Engineering Services

Senior Mechanical Engineer

El Segundo, CAOnsiteFull TimeSenior$140,000–$176,000 /yrPosted 18 days agoVisa sponsorship available

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Required skills

Mechanical Design
CAD
SolidWorks
complex assemblies
mechanical drawings
GD&T
tolerance analysis
structural analysis
hand calculations
FEA

Nice to have

environmental qualification testing
thermal cycling
vibration
shock
NASTRAN
ABAQUS

Role summary

CHAOS Industries is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, develop, and qualify ruggedized sensor systems, avionics, and electronic hardware for defense applications. This role involves hands-on mechanical design using CAD tools, creating complex assemblies and documentation, performing structural and thermal analyses, and supporting prototyping, integration, and testing. The position spans the entire product lifecycle, from concept to sustainment, and requires collaboration with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, 4+ years of relevant experience, and strong problem-solving skills. Experience with military standards and simulation tools is preferred. This is a full-time, on-site position in El Segundo, CA.

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's 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.

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

Role Overview:

CHAOS is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to support the hands-on design, development, packaging, integration, and qualification of ruggedized sensor systems, avionics, electronic hardware, and related mission-critical systems for dual-use aerospace and defense applications. The ideal candidate brings strong mechanical design and CAD expertise, experience with complex assemblies and integrated systems, and demonstrated prototyping, analysis, and problem-solving skills.

The position spans the product lifecycle from concept development and architecture through detailed design, analysis, prototyping, qualification testing, production, fielding, and sustainment. Design challenges may include structures, enclosures, mechanisms, electromechanical hardware, thermal solutions, support equipment, and other systems deployed across land-, sea-, and air-based platforms.

This is a full-time, on-site position in El Segundo, CA.

Responsibilities:

Design ruggedized electronic hardware, sensor systems, avionics, enclosures, structures, mechanisms, and related support equipment in accordance with program requirements and applicable standards

Develop and maintain 3D CAD models, complex assemblies, detailed drawings, installation documentation, and interface control documents (ICDs)

Own the design and documentation of assigned components, assemblies, and mechanical subsystems

Track and manage size, weight, and mechanical allocations for electronic assemblies and integrated hardware

Perform first-order structural and thermal analyses, hand calculations, requirements analysis, and design verification activities

Support prototype fabrication, assembly, mechanical integration, testing, qualification, fit-check, installation, alignment, and troubleshooting activities

Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, RF, power, manufacturing, systems engineering, customers, suppliers, and platform providers to resolve integration challenges

Support make/buy evaluations, production transition, Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA), configuration control, fielding, and sustainment activities

Participate in design reviews, failure investigations, and other technical decision-making activities

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline

4+ years of relevant experience in mechanical design and integration of electronic hardware for aerospace, defense, or similar applications

Strong proficiency with mechanical CAD tools, such as SolidWorks or equivalent, including complex parts and assemblies

Experience producing and reviewing production-ready mechanical drawings and documentation

Understanding of mechanical interfaces, tolerancing, alignment, installation practices, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and configuration-controlled documentation

Experience designing or integrating mechanical hardware for RF, avionics, power electronics, embedded computing, or similar products

Familiarity with structural analysis methods, including hand calculations and FEA

Experience supporting prototype builds, integration, testing, or qualification activities

Familiarity with ruggedized hardware and applicable environmental requirements

Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in fast-paced, multi-disciplinary development environments

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Requirements:

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field

Experience supporting environmental qualification testing and analysis, including thermal cycling, vibration, and shock

Experience with commercial FEA or multiphysics simulation tools, such as NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS, COMSOL, or similar tools

Familiarity with military and aerospace standards, including MIL-STD-810

Familiarity with military and aerospace connectors, such as MIL-DTL-38999, ARINC, and Micro-D

Experience with mechanisms, actuation systems, structures, thermal management, packaging, cable routing, connector layouts, or electromechanical integration

Experience with additive manufacturing, CNC machining, fabrication, assembly, and prototype development

Hands-on experience working with machine shop and prototype lab equipment

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: 250 employees and counting across 5 global offices

$140k-176k

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.

Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.

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