Manufacturing Engineer - Effectors

CHAOS Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits 100% paid by the company

401k with 50% company match

Unlimited PTO

Free daily lunch

Job summary

CHAOS Industries in El Segundo, California, seeks a Manufacturing Engineer specializing in Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA). The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in aerospace or automotive fields, focusing on producibility engineering and transition-to-production execution.

Responsibilities include leading DFMA reviews, conducting producibility assessments, and integrating factory and supplier processes. Competitive compensation and a range of benefits, including unlimited PTO and stock options, are offered.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, or high-rate electromechanical production.
• Demonstrated experience in DFMA implementation.
• U.S. Citizenship required and ability to obtain DoD clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead structured DFMA reviews during concept, PDR, CDR, and pre‑production phases.
• Own manufacturing planning from prototype through LRIP and FRP.
• Support pilot builds and process validation activities.

Skills

DFMA implementation

Manufacturing readiness level evaluations

Tolerance stack-up analysis

Manufacturing documentation development

GD&T knowledge

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SOLIDWORKS or similar CAD tools

PLM systems

MES / ERP systems

Job description

Role Summary

We are seeking a Manufacturing Engineer focused on Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA), producibility engineering, and transition-to-production execution for low‑cost interceptor systems.

Responsibilities

• Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA)
  • Lead structured DFMA reviews during concept, PDR, CDR, and pre‑production phases.
  • Quantify cost, cycle time, yield, and tooling impacts of design decisions.
  • Drive simplification of part counts, fastener strategy, interfaces, tolerances, and assembly flow.
  • Evaluate tolerance stack‑ups and GD&T schemes for manufacturability and yield.
  • Develop assembly sequencing strategies optimized for rate and takt time.
  • Influence material selection, joining methods, and fabrication methods for cost and scalability.
• Producibility & Cost Engineering
  • Perform detailed producibility assessments including:
  • Manufacturing readiness level (MRL) evaluations
  • Process capability analysis
  • Yield modeling and defect risk identification
  • Develop bottoms‑up cost models for hardware builds.
  • Conduct make vs. buy analyses in collaboration with supply chain.
  • Identify capital equipment and tooling requirements for rate production.
  • Quantify production rate sensitivities and bottlenecks.
• Transition to Production (TTP)
  • Own manufacturing planning from prototype through LRIP and FRP.
  • Develop:
    • MBOM structures
    • Work instructions
    • Factory routing sequences
    • Tooling concepts
    • Test process definitions
  • Support pilot builds and process validation activities.
  • Lead root cause analysis of build escapes and yield losses.
  • Drive closure of production readiness action items prior to rate ramp.
  • Support First Article Inspection (FAI) and production qualification.
• Factory & Supplier Integration
  • Interface with:
    • Design engineering
    • Quality
    • Supply chain
    • Test engineering
    • Operations leadership
  • Provide hands‑on floor support during initial builds and ramp events.
  • Travel to suppliers to resolve producibility issues and validate readiness.
  • Develop scalable supplier engagement models for high‑volume components.
• Develop production rate models and capacity plans.
• Implement automation, poka‑yoke, and error‑proofing strategies.
• Analyze metrics (yield, cycle time, cost, rework, escapes).
• Drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Support digital manufacturing tools (MES, PLM, ERP).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related STEM field.
• 5+ years experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, or high‑rate electromechanical production.
• Demonstrated experience in DFMA implementation.
• Experience transitioning hardware from development into production.
• Working knowledge of:
  • GD&T (ASME Y14.5)
  • Tolerance stack‑up analysis
  • Manufacturing process capability concepts (Cp, Cpk)
  • Experience developing manufacturing documentation (MBOM, work instructions, process flows).
• U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain DoD clearance.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with missile, interceptor, UAV, or guided munition systems.
• Experience scaling hardware to high‑rate production.
• Familiarity with:
  • Automated assembly systems
  • Robotic integration
  • Composites fabrication
  • Experience with:
    • SOLIDWORKS or similar CAD tools
    • PLM systems (SOLIDWORKS PDM, Windchill, or equivalent)
    • MES / ERP systems
    • Experience conducting MRL assessments.

Benefits

• 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

Salary Range

Salary Range: $110,000 - $160,000. 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.