Hardware Systems Engineer

CHAOS Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k match

Free daily lunch

Unlimited PTO

Casual dress code

Job summary

CHAOS Industries is seeking a Senior Staff Hardware Systems Engineer to lead development of next-generation defense systems from concept through field deployment. You will translate mission needs into system architectures and integrated hardware solutions, driving technical tradeoffs and ensuring reliability in operational environments.

The role combines deep technical credibility with leadership across cross-functional teams, delivering hardware in a fast-paced setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field; 10–12+ years of relevant engineering experience
• Background in space systems, missile systems, avionics, radar, EW, or defense electronics
• Strong understanding of system architecture, interface definition, and engineering tradeoffs
• Proven technical leadership of small multidisciplinary engineering teams delivering complex hardware products

Responsibilities

• Lead a small cross-functional hardware development team, establishing technical priorities and driving execution from concept through production
• Lead hardware systems engineering from early product definition through architecture, requirements, qualification, production, and lifecycle support
• Define system architectures and allocate functionality across mechanical, electrical, RF, software, and test subsystems
• Lead system-level trade studies balancing performance, SWaP-C, manufacturability, reliability, schedule, and cost
• Collaborate with manufacturing, suppliers, and test teams to mature designs into production

Skills

System architecture

Technical leadership

Cross-functional teamwork

Requirements allocation

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

DOORS

Jama

Cameo

MagicDraw

SysML

Job description

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 Staff Hardware Systems Engineer to lead the technical development of next-generation defense systems from concept through field deployment. You will translate mission needs and product strategy into system architectures and integrated hardware solutions. Working across disciplines, you’ll solve complex technical problems, drive engineering tradeoffs, and ensure products perform reliably in operational environments.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical credibility with team leadership, systems thinking, and experience delivering hardware in a fast-paced environment. This individual leads from the front, personally executing high-impact technical tasks in support of program success.

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

Responsibilities

• Lead a small cross-functional hardware development team , establishing technical priorities and driving execution from concept through production
• Lead hardware systems engineering from early product definition through architecture, requirements, qualification, production, and lifecycle support
• Define system architectures and allocate functionality across mechanical, electrical, RF, software, and test subsystems
• Define and manage internal and external interfaces
• Lead system-level trade studies balancing performance, SWaP-C, manufacturability, reliability, schedule, and cost
• Make timely technical decisions under ambiguity while balancing mission performance, risk, schedule, manufacturability, and cost
• Develop new product concepts and support proposals and technology demonstrations
• Identify technical risks early and drive practical mitigation strategies
• Lead technical reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR
• Personally contribute to critical engineering work as needed to ensure team and program success
• Collaborate with manufacturing, suppliers, and test teams to mature designs into production

What Success Looks Like

• Mission needs and product concepts become executable engineering solutions
• Cross-functional teams remain aligned around a coherent system architecture
• Products perform reliably in demonstrations and operational deployments
• Technical risks are resolved before they become program risks

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field with 1 0 1 2 + years of relevant engineering experience
• Background in space systems, missile systems, avionics, radar, EW, or defense electronics
• Strong understanding of system architecture, interface definition, and engineering tradeoffs
• Proven technical leadership of small multidisciplinary engineering teams delivering complex hardware products in a fast-paced development environment
• Experience performing system architecture trade studies and allocating system and hardware requirements
• Strong attention to detail and execution
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Requirements

• Master's degree in an engineering or business discipline
• Experience interpreting and applying military specifications and standards
• Experience writing technical proposals
• Experience designing for manufacturability and production transition
• Experience with prototype integration and customer demonstrations
• Hands-on experience developing, integrating, and troubleshooting complex hardware systems
• Requirements management or MBSE tools (DOORS, Jama, Cameo, MagicDraw, SysML)

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: 350 employees and counting across 5 global offices

$190k-270k

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.

Please note this position does not necessarily require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Do you presently hold an active U.S. security clearance, or are you eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance?

Are you authorized to work for any employer in the United States?

Are you a U.S. Person (i.e. a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) who can obtain and maintain a Security Clearance?

Are you any of the following “protected individual(s)” as defined in the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)?

As set forth in CHAOS Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

EXPORT CONTROLS - This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Your responses to the questions below will be used solely to determine your eligibility under U.S. law to receive information and materials subject to U.S. export controls.