Principal Mechanical Engineer

CHAOS Industries • Hawthorne, CA

105d • $150,000 - $250,000

About The Position

CHAOS Inc. is a global technology company delivering next-generation capabilities to the defense and critical industrial sectors. Founded in 2022 by a seasoned leadership team, CHAOS has quickly become the place where world-class multi-disciplinary engineers come to build mission-critical technologies. CHAOS has a mission-focused culture, dedicated to solving the toughest technical challenges. Its unique agile engineering approach enables rapid prototyping, while deep partnerships with defense and industry ensure real-world solutions. We are seeking an experienced mechanical design engineer to join our dynamic team in Los Angeles. The candidate will be responsible for providing innovative design solutions for integrating ruggedized electronics, effectors, and launchers into ground and sea mobile platforms. The ideal candidate will possess relevant industry experience integrating military hardware into mobile vehicles and be self-directed. This is a full-time position on-site in Hawthorne, CA.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field
• 8+ years of experience with CAD and FEA software packages in a professional setting
• Strong knowledge of industry practices, drafting standards, and drawing notes for military and commercial hardware design documentation
• Experience with designing for manufacturability
• Proficiency in Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Hands-on experience with hardware integration
• Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

• Master’s Degree or PhD in a STEM field
• Experience designing and integrating vehicle mounted structures, gimbals, or launchers
• Experience with designing and integrating gimbals and mechanisms
• Experience with SolidWorks for designing parts and assemblies
• Experience with at least one commercial FEA or multiphysics simulation package (NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS, CFD codes, COMSOL, etc.)
• Experience interpreting and applying military specifications and standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, and other military standards)
• Familiarity with military-style connectors (e.g., mil-circular 38999, ARINC, micro-D)
• Ability to design cable harness and generate electrical schematics and pin diagrams
• Experience with prototyping, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and other fabrication techniques.
• Experience developing concepts for proposals and writing proposals

Responsibilities

• Mechanical design and integration of military electronics and structures onto ground vehicles and ships
• Development of ruggedized military hardware, ensuring compliance with relevant standards and requirements
• Utilize CAD software (SolidWorks) to create detailed 3D models, drawings, and assemblies
• Support prototyping, testing, and validation of designs in laboratory and field environments
• Use hand calculations, finite element analyses (FEA), and computer-aided designs (CAD) to ensure all hardware meets or exceeds internal and customer requirements
• Lead design reviews and hardware qualification
• Create installation drawings and interface control documents
• Serve as technical interface with vendors, suppliers, and customers

Benefits

• Health Benefits: Your medical, dental and vision benefits will be 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: life, FSA, HSA, 401k (+ Company match), 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 + (coming soon!) annual bonuses

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees