Integration & Test Engineer - Effector Systems

Integration & Test Engineer - Effector Systems

El Segundo, California, United States

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.

Role Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Integration & Test Engineer to accelerate the development, integration, verification, and validation of effector systems and subsystems for air defense applications. This role is highly hands-on and critical to ensuring that hardware and software components perform according to system requirements.

As an Integration & Test Engineer, you will support the integration, verification, and validation of effector systems at the bench, rack, and full system levels. You will work directly with hardware, software, and firmware, troubleshooting issues across the entire stack - from embedded software to physical hardware.

We are looking for someone who enjoys getting their hands dirty and learning by doing. Ideal candidates have strong prototype hardware integration skills as well as experience setting up embedded subsystems such as GPS receivers, telemetry radios, and flight controllers. This role also involves developing and executing test procedures, including automated test, calibration and post-test data analysis scripting. Familiarity with drones or UAS platforms is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Assemble, configure, and integrate effector hardware, controller electronics, firmware, and software into a functioning system.
• Plan, develop, and execute integration and test procedures at the component, subsystem, and system levels.
• Develop and maintain automated and manual test scripts, test fixtures, and test environments.
• Troubleshoot integration and test issues across hardware, firmware, and embedded software.
• Support field integration, on-site testing, and customer demonstrations as needed.
• Create and maintain integration and test documentation.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of I&T processes, procedures, and best practices.
• Support adjacent systems engineering or software integration tasks as program needs evolve.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in integration and test engineering, embedded systems, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong hands-on prototype hardware skills including wiring, soldering, and mechanical assembly (e.g., 3D printing, rack integration).
• Experience setting up and configuring embedded subsystems such as GPS receivers, telemetry radios, and flight controllers.
• Proficiency in Python and/or C/C++ for test automation, calibration scripts, and data reduction/analysis scripting.
• Experience developing and executing test procedures at the component, subsystem, and system levels.
• Familiarity with communication protocols common in drone and embedded systems (MAVLink, CAN, UART, SPI, I2C).
• Solid understanding of drone system architecture, including propulsion, servos, datalinks, navigation, and control loops.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills across hardware and software domains.
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) and CI/CD pipelines for automated testing.

Preferred Requirements:

• Direct experience with drones, UAS platforms, or similar unmanned effector systems.
• Familiarity with flight controller software such as PX4, ArduPilot, or equivalent and associated ground control software (QGroundControl, Mission Planner)
• Experience with HIL or SIL simulation environments for embedded or autonomous systems.
• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink for control system modeling or flight dynamics.
• Knowledge of RF systems, GPS signal simulation, or sensor fusion techniques.
• Exposure to field test operations and transitioning systems from bench testing to flight testing.
• Experience with environmental and EMC qualification testing in accordance with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461 and -464.
• FAA Part 107 certification or equivalent UAV operational credentials.

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: 250 employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $130,000 - $160,000

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.