Manufacturing Engineer - Effectors

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CHAOS Industries is hiring a Manufacturing Engineer focused on DFMA, producibility, and transition-to-production for low-cost interceptor systems, partnering with Product Engineering from concept to full-rate production. You will drive design trades for producibility at scale, cost optimization for high-rate builds, and resilience to supply chain variability with automated and semi-automated assembly. Responsibilities include leading DFMA reviews, cost and cycle-time analysis, tolerance stack-ups, assembly sequencing, MRB and CAPA, and developing MBOMs and work instructions, plus factory and supplier integration and pilot builds. Requirements: bachelor’s in Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering, 5+ years in aerospace/defense or high-rate electromechanical production, DFMA and hardware-to-production transition experience, GD&T, MRL, and US citizenship with DoD clearance. Preferred: missile background, SOLIDWORKS, PLM, MES/ERP. Benefits include 100% paid health, 401k match, relocation, stock options, no-meeting Fridays, unlimited PTO; salary range $110k-$160k.

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 Summary:

We are seeking a Manufacturing Engineer focused on Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA), producibility engineering, and transition-to-production execution for low-cost interceptor systems.

This role will partner directly with Product Engineering from early concept development through full-rate production, ensuring interceptor designs are:

• Producible at scale
• Cost-optimized for high-rate builds
• Robust to supply chain variability
• Architected for automated and semi-automated assembly

You will serve as the manufacturing authority embedded within the development lifecycle — driving design trades, quantifying cost impacts, maturing production processes, and enabling rapid ramp to rate production.

Responsibilities: 

• Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA)
  • Lead structured DFMA reviews during concept, PDR, CDR, and pre-production phases.
  • Quantify cost, cycle time, yield, and tooling impacts of design decisions.
  • Drive simplification of part counts, fastener strategy, interfaces, tolerances, and assembly flow.
  • Evaluate tolerance stack-ups and GD&T schemes for manufacturability and yield.
  • Develop assembly sequencing strategies optimized for rate and takt time.
  • Influence material selection, joining methods, and fabrication methods for cost and scalability.
• Producibility & Cost Engineering
  • Perform detailed producibility assessments including:
  • Manufacturing readiness level (MRL) evaluations
  • Process capability analysis
  • Yield modeling and defect risk identification
  • Develop bottoms-up cost models for hardware builds.
  • Conduct make vs. buy analyses in collaboration with supply chain.
  • Identify capital equipment and tooling requirements for rate production.
  • Quantify production rate sensitivities and bottlenecks.
• Transition to Production (TTP)
  • Own manufacturing planning from prototype through LRIP and FRP.
  • Develop:
    • MBOM structures
    • Work instructions
    • Factory routing sequences
    • Tooling concepts
    • Test process definitions
  • Support pilot builds and process validation activities.
  • Lead root cause analysis of build escapes and yield losses.
  • Drive closure of production readiness action items prior to rate ramp.
  • Support First Article Inspection (FAI) and production qualification.
• Factory & Supplier Integration
  • Interface with:
    • Design engineering
    • Quality
    • Supply chain
    • Test engineering
    • Operations leadership
  • Provide hands-on floor support during initial builds and ramp events.
  • Travel to suppliers to resolve producibility issues and validate readiness.
  • Develop scalable supplier engagement models for high-volume components.
• Continuous Improvement & Rate Scaling
  • Develop production rate models and capacity plans.
  • Implement automation, poka-yoke, and error-proofing strategies.
  • Analyze metrics (yield, cycle time, cost, rework, escapes).
  • Drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
  • Support digital manufacturing tools (MES, PLM, ERP).

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related STEM field.
• 5+ years experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, or high-rate electromechanical production.
• Demonstrated experience in DFMA implementation.
• Experience transitioning hardware from development into production.
• Working knowledge of:
• GD&T (ASME Y14.5)
• Tolerance stack-up analysis
• Root cause methodologies (8D, RCCA, Fishbone, etc.)
• Manufacturing process capability concepts (Cp, Cpk)
• Experience developing manufacturing documentation (MBOM, work instructions, process flows).
• U.S. Citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain DoD clearance.

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience with missile, interceptor, UAV, or guided munition systems.
• Experience scaling hardware to high-rate production.
• Experience in low-cost/high-volume defense production environments.
• Familiarity with:
• Automated assembly systems
• Robotic integration
• Composites fabrication
• Harness/PCBA integration
• Experience with:
• SOLIDWORKS or similar CAD tools
• PLM systems (SOLIDWORKS PDM, Windchill, or equivalent)
• MES / ERP systems
• Experience conducting MRL assessments.

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: 200 employees and counting across 5 global offices

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.

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