Staff Mechanical Engineer

Join CHAOS as a Staff Mechanical Engineer, where you will be responsible for the 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. You will support the product lifecycle from concept development to production and sustainment, and work collaboratively with various teams to resolve integration challenges.

• Perform hands-on mechanical design and integration of ruggedized electronic hardware, sensor systems, avionics, structures, mechanisms, enclosures, and related support equipment.
• Develop and maintain 3D CAD models, assemblies, detailed drawings, installation documentation, and interface control documents (ICDs).
• Lead design review on owned design, work collaboratively with mechanical, electrical, RF, power, manufacturing, systems engineering, customers, suppliers, and platform providers to resolve integration challenges.

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