Mechanical engineer jobs in California

About the role

CHAOS is seeking a Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer to serve as the mechanical authority and provide high-value, hands-on mechanical expertise for the integration of ruggedized electronics, effectors, and mission-critical hardware into ground- and sea-mobile platforms for aerospace and defense applications. In this role, you will own the end-to-end design for military electronics and effector systems with critical platform structures and mechanisms. Design challenges may range from compact electronics enclosures to larger structural or mechanism assemblies, depending on platform and mission requirements.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
• 11+ years of progressively responsible experience in platform-level mechanical design and system integration for aerospace and defense applications
• Proven experience integrating mechanical subsystems and mission systems into vehicles, mobile platforms, or fixed installations
• Strong proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks or equivalent) for large assemblies and top-down design
• Expertise in mechanical interfaces, tolerancing, alignment, installation practices, and interface control documents (ICDs)
• Familiarity with structural analysis methods (hand calculations, FEA)
• Demonstrated experience with ruggedized military hardware and environmental qualification considerations
• Experience interpreting and applying military standards, such as MIL-STD-810 and related platform qualification requirements
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical decisions and resolve complex, cross-disciplinary integration challenges
• Strong communication skills and ability to operate effectively in multi-project development environments
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field

Benefits