Principal Mechanical Engineer — Rugged Defense Systems

Frontdoor Defense; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision benefits 1

401k with 50% company match up to 6%

FSA and HSA

Life insurance

Free daily lunch

No meeting Fridays

Unlimited PTO

Relocation assistance

Job summary

CHAOS Industries in El Segundo, CA seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the integration of ruggedized electronics and hardware for aerospace/defense platforms. You will own mechanical interfaces, enclosures, and mechanisms across ground- and sea-mobile platforms throughout the product lifecycle.

The role requires hands-on CAD, prototyping, and deep experience with ruggedized hardware, with the ability to guide cross-disciplinary teams and maintain ICDs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 8+ years in platform-level mechanical design and system integration for aerospace/defense.
• Experience integrating subsystems into vehicles or platforms.
• Proficiency with CAD tools for large assemblies.
• Knowledge of MIL-STD-810 and environmental qualification.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and hands-on prototyping for system integration.
• Architect and design mechanical structures subject to shock and vibration.
• Maintain 3D CAD models and ICDs for multi-disciplinary integration.
• Perform structural and thermal analyses and requirements allocations.
• Lead system-level integration, qualification, and acceptance activities.
• Interface with customers, suppliers, and manufacturing partners; make/buy assessments.
• Support production transition and fielded system sustainment.

Skills

Mechanical design

System integration

Prototyping

Team leadership

Communication skills

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

FEA software (NASTRAN/ABAQUS/ANSYS)

Job description

CHAOS Industries in El Segundo, CA seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the integration of ruggedized electronics and hardware for aerospace/defense platforms. You will own mechanical interfaces, enclosures, and mechanisms across ground- and sea-mobile platforms throughout the product lifecycle.

The role requires hands-on CAD, prototyping, and deep experience with ruggedized hardware, with the ability to guide cross-disciplinary teams and maintain ICDs.