Staff Mechanical Engineer

CHAOS Industries•El Segundo, CA

19d•$167,000 - $209,000•Onsite

About The Position

CHAOS Industries is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer to perform hands-on design, development, packaging, integration, and qualification of ruggedized sensor systems, avionics, electronic hardware, and related mission-critical systems for dual-use aerospace and defense applications. The role involves mechanical design and CAD work, complex assemblies and integrated systems, prototyping, analysis, and problem-solving. The position supports the product lifecycle from concept development and architecture through detailed design, analysis, prototyping, qualification testing, production, fielding, and sustainment. Design challenges may include structures, enclosures, mechanisms, electromechanical hardware, thermal solutions, support equipment, and other systems deployed across land-, sea-, and air-based platforms. This is a full-time, on-site position in El Segundo, California.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
7+ years of progressively responsible experience in mechanical design and integration of electronic hardware for aerospace, defense, or similar applications.
Strong proficiency with mechanical CAD tools, such as SolidWorks or equivalent, including complex assemblies and detailed design.
Experience producing and reviewing production-ready mechanical drawings and documentation.
Understanding of mechanical interfaces, tolerancing, alignment, installation practices, and interface control documents (ICDs).
Familiarity with military and aerospace connectors, such as MIL-DTL-38999, ARINC, and Micro-D.
Understanding of mechanical drafting standards, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and configuration-controlled documentation.
Familiarity with structural analysis methods, including hand calculations and FEA.
Experience designing or integrating ruggedized hardware and considering applicable environmental requirements.
Experience interpreting and applying applicable military and aerospace standards, including MIL-STD-810 where relevant.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to operate effectively in multidisciplinary development environments.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
Experience supporting environmental qualification testing and analysis, including thermal cycling, vibration, and shock.
Experience with mechanisms, actuation systems, structures, thermal management, packaging, cable routing, connector layouts, or electromechanical integration.
Experience with commercial FEA or multiphysics simulation tools, such as NASTRAN, ABAQUS, ANSYS, COMSOL, or similar tools.
Experience with prototyping, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, fabrication, assembly, and production transition.
Familiarity with aerospace, defense, military, or other ruggedized hardware standards and specifications.

Responsibilities

Perform hands-on mechanical design and integration of ruggedized electronic hardware, sensor systems, avionics, structures, mechanisms, enclosures, and related support equipment.
Own the mechanical design and integration of defined subsystems, product areas, or major assemblies.
Perform trade studies and recommend a path forward.
Develop and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, detailed drawings, installation documentation, and interface control documents (ICDs).
Develop mechanical designs subject to structural, thermal, environmental, manufacturability, installation, and operational requirements.
Perform first-order structural and thermal analyses, hand calculations, requirements analysis, and design verification activities.
Lead design reviews for owned designs.
Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, RF, power, manufacturing, systems engineering, customers, suppliers, and platform providers to resolve integration challenges.
Support system integration, qualification, fit-check, installation, alignment, troubleshooting, prototype fabrication, assembly, and transition to production.
Support configuration control, make/buy evaluations, fielding, and sustainment of deployed systems.
Mentor junior engineers.