Principal Mechanical Engineer

CHAOS Industries•El Segundo, CA

6d•$160,000 - $260,000•Onsite

About The Position

CHAOS Industries is seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, development, and integration of advanced missile and UAV launcher systems. The role owns end-to-end mechanical design from concept development through production and sustainment for launcher systems supporting solid rocket motor effectors, turbine-powered UAVs, and electrically powered UAV systems on mobile ground and maritime platforms. It collaborates across functions and provides technical management of subcontracts. The role is suited to an engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on environment and is comfortable owning hardware from concept through field deployment. The ideal candidate has strong hands-on mechanical CAD and system integration experience, demonstrated launcher design and integration success, a deep understanding of ruggedized hardware design, and the ability to work independently and guide cross-disciplinary engineering efforts. This is a full-time, on-site position in Hawthorne, California. The level (Principal versus Senior Principal) will be determined based on relevant technical and leadership experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
10 or more years of progressively responsible experience in mechanical design and system integration for aerospace or defense.
Demonstrated experience designing missile launcher systems or closely related hardware.
Strong background in structural design, mechanisms, and ruggedized hardware for harsh environments.
Experience with electro-mechanical integration, including power and data interfaces and connector systems.
Working knowledge of blast, thermal, and dynamic loads associated with rocket or missile systems.
Familiarity with system safety principles, including safe-and-arm or fuzing interfaces and launch interlocks.
Strong proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks or equivalent, and experience designing large assemblies.
Solid understanding of mechanical interfaces, tolerancing, alignment, installation practices, and interface control documents (ICDs).
Experience interpreting and applying military standards such as MIL-STD-810 and environmental qualification practices.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical decisions and resolve cross-disciplinary integration challenges.
Strong communication skills and ability to operate across multiple programs.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
Prior experience serving as a mechanical technical authority on a program.
Experience planning, instrumenting, and executing hardware tests.
Experience designing and integrating mechanisms and actuation systems.
Experience with system-level requirements allocation.
Familiarity with vehicle integration constraints, including shock, vibration, transport, and operational loads.
Experience with at least one commercial FEA or multiphysics simulation package, such as NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS, CFD codes, or COMSOL.
Knowledge of manufacturing and assembly processes for mobile or deployable mechanical structures and mechanisms.
Experience with prototyping, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and other fabrication techniques.
Familiarity with military-style connectors such as MIL-Circular 38999, ARINC, and micro-D.

Responsibilities

Own mechanical architecture and integration of launcher systems across ground and maritime platforms.
Define and manage mechanical and electro-mechanical interfaces between missiles, canisters, and platforms.
Develop environmental protection solutions for blast, plume, and thermal effects, including gas management, shielding, and structural protection.
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 launcher-system integration onto mobile ground and maritime platforms, accounting for structural loads, motion environments, corrosion, and installation constraints.
Support production transition, configuration control, and fielded-system sustainment, including investigation and resolution of integration issues.