Principal Mechanical Engineer

Chaos, Inc.; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k with company match

Free daily lunch

No meeting Fridays

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

CHAOS Industries is seeking a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the mechanical design, integration, and qualification of electronic hardware and enclosures for aerospace and defense applications. The role emphasizes hands-on CAD, packaging, and cross-disciplinary leadership across mechanical, electrical, RF, power, and systems teams.

This full-time, on-site position is based in El Segundo, CA. Applicants must have 10+ years in mechanical design for aerospace or defense and be able to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline is required.
• 10+ years of mechanical design and integration experience for aerospace/defense.
• Proficiency with CAD tools and production-ready drawings.
• Experience with military/aerospace connectors and environmental standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of ruggedized electronic hardware and enclosures.
• Own mechanical design for a subsystem aligning with requirements.
• Develop and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, and ICDs.
• Perform basic structural and thermal analyses for design decisions.
• Coordinate cross-disciplinary resolution with mechanical, electrical, RF and systems teams.
• Interface with suppliers and manufacturing partners.
• Conduct make/buy assessments and support production transition.
• Address integration issues and sustainment post-fielding.

Skills

Mechanical CAD

Thermal analysis

RF/mechanical interfaces

Documentation control

Cross-functional leadership

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

SolidWorks

GD&T

ICDs

Thermal modelling

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:

CHAOSis seekingaPrincipalMechanical Design Engineer toleadthemechanicaldesign, integration, and qualification of electronichardware and enclosures for aerospace and defense applications.The ideal candidate brings deep hands‑on mechanical design expertise, strong CAD and packaging experience, and a proven ability to independently lead cross-disciplinary technical efforts spanning mechanical, electrical, RF, power, and systems engineering.

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

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of ruggedized electronic hardware and enclosures, including chassis, card-level packaging, mounting features, and thermal solutions, in accordance with program requirements and applicable standards
• Own mechanical design responsibility for a subsystem or product area, ensuring alignment with system-level requirements and program constraints
• Develop and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, detailed drawings, and interface control documentation (ICDs), ensuring production-ready quality and configuration control
• Perform first-order structural and thermal analyses to support design decisions and verify compliance with environmental and performance requirements
• Drive cross‑disciplinary technical resolution involving mechanical, electrical, RF, power, and systems engineering teams
• Serve as a key technical interface with suppliers and manufacturing partners
• Perform make/buy assessments with manufacturing partners as required
• Support production transition, configuration control, and fielded system sustainment, including investigation and resolution of integration issues

MinimumRequirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in mechanical design and integration of electronic hardware for aerospace, defense, or similar applications
• Strong proficiency with mechanical CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks or equivalent) and experience producing production-ready drawings
• Expertise in mechanical interfaces, tolerancing, alignment, installation practices, and interface control documents (ICDs)
• Familiarity with military and aerospace connectors (e.g., MIL‑DTL-38999, ARINC, Micro‑D)
• Strong understanding of mechanical drafting standards, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and configuration‑controlled documentation
• Demonstrated experience with ruggedized military hardware and environmental qualification considerations
• Experience interpreting and applying military standards, such as MIL-STD-810 and related platform qualification requirements
• Proven ability to lead technical decisions and resolve complex integration challenges
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to operate 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
• Prior experience serving as a lead mechanical engineer on a program
• Experience with system-level requirement allocation and architecture trade studies
• Experience supporting environmental qualification testing and analysis (thermal cycling, vibration, shock)
• Experience with commercial FEA or multiphysics simulation tools (e.g., NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS, CFD codes, COMSOL, etc.)
• Familiarity with military and aerospace standards and specifications
• Experience supporting cable harness routing, connector layouts, and electromechanical integration
• Experience supporting prototype fabrication, assembly, and transition to production

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

$170k-240k

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.

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.

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.

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