Staff RF Engineer

CHAOS Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

Free daily lunch

Unlimited PTO

Casual dress code

Job summary

CHAOS Industries is looking for a Staff RF Engineer to lead the design and development of RF and microwave electronics for defense applications. This role involves working in a cross-functional team, focusing on the full product lifecycle from design to production.

The successful candidate will have significant experience in RF circuit design, testing, and troubleshooting, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Benefits include medical coverage, stock options, and a flexible work environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of RF engineering experience, preferably in aerospace or defense.
• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals and hands-on RF test equipment experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and analysis of RF circuit boards.
• Conduct simulations using tools like HFSS and ADS.
• Plan and execute RF testing and characterization.

Skills

RF circuit design

RF hardware development

Troubleshooting RF circuits

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

VNAs

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

Power meters

Altium

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.

Role Overview

CHAOS is seeking a Staff RF Engineer with deep expertise in RF circuit design to lead the design, analysis, integration, and verification of high-reliability RF and microwave electronics for aerospace and defense applications. This role works as part of a cross‑functional, agile development team and spans the full product lifecycle, from early architecture and component trade studies through detailed design, testing, production support, and post‑production sustainment of mission‑critical systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, analysis, prototyping, and tuning of RF circuit boards incorporating catalog MMICs, including LNAs, power amplifiers, baluns, filters, mixers, and associated bias and matching networks
• Perform architecture development and component trade studies to meet system‑level RF performance requirements
• Develop schematics, layouts, and design documentation in accordance with customer requirements, aerospace standards, and internal design practices
• Conduct linear, nonlinear, and electromagnetic simulations using industry‑standard tools (e.g., HFSS, ADS, AWR, or equivalent)
• Support PCB layout (Altium) and RF stack‑up definition, including impedance control, grounding, shielding, and isolation techniques
• Plan and execute RF testing and characterization, including integration and troubleshooting at the board, module, and subsystem levels
• Contribute to the design and specification of RF test equipment, fixtures, and automation
• Collaborate with systems, power, digital, mechanical, and software engineers to ensure RF designs integrate cleanly within larger systems
• Serve as a technical contributor from development through production and post‑production, including failure analysis and field support

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with 8+ years of progressively responsible RF engineering experience
• Experience developing RF hardware for aerospace, defense, avionics, radar, EW, communications, or space systems
• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, including gain, noise figure, linearity, phase noise, stability, and impedance matching
• Hands‑on experience with RF test equipment (e.g., VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters)
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve complex RF circuit performance issues
• Strong attention to detail and ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, development‑focused environments
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Requirements

• Advanced Degree (MS or PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or related discipline
• Experience with power amplifier design, analysis, and integration
• Familiarity with EMI/EMC considerations for RF systems and compliance with applicable aerospace standards
• Experience with mixed‑signal or RF/digital interfaces
• Knowledge of manufacturing considerations for RF hardware, including tolerance analysis and yield drivers
• Experience supporting production hardware and fielded systems
• Experience with RF PCB layout best practices and design‑for‑manufacturing considerations
• Familiarity with DO‑160, MIL‑STD‑461, or similar aerospace/defense standards
• Familiarity with RF antenna design principles

Benefits

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401(k) (50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Team 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

$150k-210k

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.