Staff Hardware Systems Engineer

CHAOS Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits 100% paid by company

401k with company match

Relocation assistance

Free daily lunch

No meeting Fridays

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

CHAOS Industries is seeking a Staff Hardware Systems Engineer to lead the development of next‑generation defense systems from concept to field deployment. You will translate mission needs into robust hardware architectures and drive cross‑functional execution onsite in El Segundo, CA.

The role requires deep technical credibility, proven leadership in delivering complex hardware in fast‑paced programs, and ability to solve tough tradeoffs across mechanical, electrical, RF, software, and test

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field with 8+ 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 within 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.

Responsibilities

• Support a small cross‑functional hardware development team, establishing technical priorities and driving execution from concept through production.
• Support 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 coordinate internal and external interfaces.
• Support 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.
• Support 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.

Skills

System architecture

Engineering leadership

Trade studies

Security clearance

Defense electronics

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering (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 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

• Support a small cross‑functional hardware development team, establishing technical priorities and driving execution from concept through production
• Support 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 coordinate internal and external interfaces
• Support 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
• Support 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 8+ 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 within 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

$170k-230k

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.