System/Subsystem Engineer

CHAOS Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k match

Relocation assistance

Annual bonuses

Team lunches

Job summary

CHAOS Industries in Los Angeles (Hawthorne) is seeking a Senior System / Subsystem Engineer to lead the systems engineering effort on a clean sheet airframe design. You will own the system architecture and CONOPS from inception through V&V, expanding across product families.

The role requires 10+ years in professional systems engineering for a prime integrator, DoD familiarity, and a Bachelor’s or higher in related fields; on-site work and strong software/CI/CD experience are expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science or Computer Engineering
• 10+ years of experience in professional systems engineering for a prime systems integrator
• Experience in deriving system/subsystem requirements and conducting trade studies
• Practical understanding of UAS subsystems (sensors, navigation, autopilots, power subsystems)
• Experience with data reduction and post-test data analysis of aerospace systems
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Experience with modern software development practices (Git, CI/CD, automated testing)
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and collaborate on small teams
• U.S. Person status required to access US-only data systems

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain System Architecture and CONOPS
• Lead development of system and subsystem requirements and specifications
• Lead integration and test activities, including hardware selloff for demos
• Support local and field testing of software and flight hardware
• On-site, full-time work in Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA

Skills

Systems engineering

Trade studies

Requirements & specs

Problem solving

Git

CI/CD

Automated testing

Agile

Teamwork

Minimal supervision

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Automated testing

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 highly-skilled and motivated Senior System / Subsystem Engineer to join our R&D team. You will get an opportunity to lead the systems engineering effort on a clean sheet airframe design. As a member of Engineering, you also have the opportunity to expand your skillset across our product families.

Responsibilities:

• Design and maintenance of System Architecture and CONOPS
• Lead and own the development of the system and subsystem requirements and specifications from inception through V&V.
• Lead the development and execution of system and subsystem integration & test activities, including hardware selloff for customer demonstrations
• Support local and field testing of software and flight hardware testing
• Work full-time on-site in our office in Los Angeles (Hawthorne), California
• Minimum education: Bachelor’s or higher Degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science / Computer Engineering, or related degree
• 10+ years ofexperience in professional systems engineering for a prime systems integrator.
• Experience in performing developing system / subsystem requirements, performing trade studies, and leading subsystem / component selection.
• Practical understanding of UAS subsystems including sensors, navigation, autopilots, control actuation systems / servos, and power subsystems
• Experience in data reduction and post-test data analysis of aerospace systems
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Experience with modern software development practices (Git, CI/CD, automated testing)
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and collaborate on small teams
• U.S. Person status isrequiredas this position will require the ability to access U.S.-only data system

Preferred Requirements:

• Current orpreviousDoD security clearance
• 10+ years ofexperience in professional systems engineering for UAS and/or missile systems.
• Experience with EO/IR sensor integration
• Experience with radar sensor integration
• Experience with datalink integration
• Familiarity with DoD standards and handbooks for safety, environments and testing.
• Strong foundation in both sides of the Systems Engineering V / Experience with full lifecycle Systems Engineering development of high-TRL systems
• Experience with HW/SW I&T and V&V of high-TRL systems

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: 400+employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $160,000 - $240,000

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.

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.