Wait…
The role
Chaos is seeking a Senior Staff Hardware Systems Engineer to lead the technical development of next-generation defense systems from concept through field deployment. You will translate mission needs and product strategy into system architectures and integrated hardware solutions. Working across disciplines, you'll solve complex technical problems, drive engineering tradeoffs, and ensure products perform reliably in operational environments.
The ideal candidate combines deep technical credibility with team leadership, systems thinking, and experience delivering hardware in a fast-paced environment. This individual leads from the front, personally executing high-impact technical tasks in support of program success.
This is a full-time position on-site in El Segundo, CA.
What Success Looks Like
- Mission needs and product concepts become executable engineering solutions
- Cross-functional teams remain aligned around a coherent system architecture
- Products perform reliably in demonstrations and operational deployments
- Technical risks are resolved before they become program risks
What you need
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field with 1012+ years of relevant engineering experience
- Background in space systems, missile systems, avionics, radar, EW, or defense electronics
- Strong understanding of system architecture, interface definition, and engineering tradeoffs
- Proven technical leadership of small multidisciplinary engineering teams delivering complex hardware products in a fast-paced development environment
- Experience performing system architecture trade studies and allocating system and hardware requirements
- Strong attention to detail and execution
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
Nice to have
- Master's degree in an engineering or business discipline
- Experience interpreting and applying military specifications and standards
- Experience writing technical proposals
- Experience designing for manufacturability and production transition
- Experience with prototype integration and customer demonstrations
- Hands-on experience developing, integrating, and troubleshooting complex hardware systems
- Requirements management or MBSE tools (DOORS, Jama, Cameo, MagicDraw, SysML)
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: 350 employees and counting across 5 global offices
Pay and benefits
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.
Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.
About CHAOS Industries
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.
Similar jobs at other companies
- KK
Pay not posted
Posted Sep 22, 2026
- AS
$235K–$305K / yr
Posted Aug 7, 2026
$130K–$220K / yr
Posted Jul 13, 2026
- CD
Chariot DefenseSan Bruno, California +1
$130K–$180K / yr
Posted Jun 22, 2026
- U
Pay not posted
Posted Sep 2, 2026
Salient MotionHawthorne, CA +1
$160K–$190K / yr
Posted Oct 5, 2026
Source: the CHAOS Industries Greenhouse job board. We last checked this job 4 h ago. We first saw it 5 days ago. A job on a job board does not always mean that the team interviews people now. We found this job board in a public list. We did not yet compare it with the careers page of the company.
Interview questions
No one has reported an interview at CHAOS Industries yet. Did you interview there? Add the questions.
- Open tech jobs
- 78
- With posted pay
- 95%
- Median posted base
- $154K–$240K
Compared with similar jobs
This base pay is near the median for hardware and robotics jobs in other US places with no level in the job title.
- Median
- $143K a year
- Other jobs in the group
- 811
We compare the middle of each posted range. This is base pay as posted. The group does not include this job.