Hardware Systems Engineer
US$123,000 – US$169,000 / yr base salary
Posted 5 Aug 2026
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 12+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$123,000 – US$169,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyEngineering (or related)
Study levelBachelor's
Field of studyBusiness, Engineering
Study levelMaster's
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 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.
Responsibilities:
-
Lead a small cross-functional hardware development team, establishing technical priorities and driving execution from concept through production
-
Lead hardware systems engineering from early product definition through architecture, requirements, qualification, production, and lifecycle support
-
Define system architectures and allocate functionality across mechanical, electrical, RF, software, and test subsystems
-
Define and manage internal and external interfaces
-
Lead system-level trade studies balancing performance, SWaP-C, manufacturability, reliability, schedule, and cost
-
Make timely technical decisions under ambiguity while balancing mission performance, risk, schedule, manufacturability, and cost
-
Develop new product concepts and support proposals and technology demonstrations
-
Identify technical risks early and drive practical mitigation strategies