Principal Mechanical Engineer - Missile & UAV Launcher

Chaos Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits fully paid

401k with company match

Relocation assistance

No meeting Fridays

Job summary

CHAOS Industries in Hawthorne, CA is seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, development and integration of advanced missile and UAV launcher systems. This hands-on role covers concept through production and sustainment across ground and maritime platforms.

The ideal candidate has strong CAD and system integration expertise, proven launcher design experience, and the ability to guide cross‑disciplinary teams while adhering to ruggedized hardware standards and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 10+ years of mechanical design and system integration in aerospace/defense.
• Experience designing missile launcher systems or related hardware.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanical architecture and integration of launcher systems across ground and maritime platforms.
• Define and manage mechanical and electro‑mechanical interfaces between missile, canister, and platform.
• Develop solutions for environmental protection and blast, plume, and thermal effects including gas management and shielding.
• Ensure compliance with safety interlock requirements and launch sequencing constraints.
• Design mechanical safing features and contribute to system‑level hazard analyses.
• Design and develop mechanisms and actuation systems for deployment, retention, and release.
• Ensure compliance with relevant military standards.
• Serve as a primary technical hardware interface with customers, platform providers, suppliers, and manufacturing partners; perform make/buy assessments.
• Lead integration of launcher systems onto mobile ground and maritime platforms, accounting for loads and corrosion.
• Support production transition, configuration control, and field sustainment; resolve issues.

Skills

Mechanical design

System integration

CAD (SolidWorks)

MIL-STD/standards experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Security clearance eligible

Ruggedized engineering

Prototyping and fabrication awareness

Program leadership

Education

Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering

Master’s preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS, ABAQUS)

Other CAD/analysis tools

Job description

CHAOS Industries in Hawthorne, CA is seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, development and integration of advanced missile and UAV launcher systems. This hands-on role covers concept through production and sustainment across ground and maritime platforms.

The ideal candidate has strong CAD and system integration expertise, proven launcher design experience, and the ability to guide cross‑disciplinary teams while adhering to ruggedized hardware standards and