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Salary: USD 160,000 - 266,000 / annual
CHAOS Industries, a defense technology company founded in 2022 and backed by $1B in funding from 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners, is seeking a Principal Configuration Management Specialist to lead CM activities across development, qualification, and production programs supporting the Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program.
In this role, you will own the integrity of product baselines throughout the system lifecycle, ensuring that design, documentation, and as-built/as-maintained configurations remain accurate, traceable, and compliant with contractual, regulatory, and internal quality requirements. You will serve as the senior CM point of contact for one or more programs, representing CM in program reviews, technical interchange meetings, and customer engagements.
Key responsibilities include:
- Establish, maintain, and audit product baselines (functional, allocated, and product) across hardware and software configuration items throughout the program lifecycle
- Manage the Engineering Change Proposal/Request (ECP/ECR) process, including impact assessment coordination, Configuration Control Board (CCB) support, and disposition tracking
- Maintain configuration status accounting and traceability across requirements, design documentation, drawings, software builds, and test/qualification records
- Ensure as-designed, as-built, and as-maintained configurations remain synchronized and auditable
- Apply CM practices in accordance with applicable standards (EIA-649, MIL-STD-973/MIL-HDBK-61, SAE-EIA-649, ANSI/EIA-649-B) and contract-specific CM plans or Data Item Descriptions
- Support compliance with customer and regulatory requirements relevant to aircraft, missile, or sUAS programs (AS9100, DO-178C/DO-254 configuration aspects, ITAR/EAR documentation control)
- Prepare for and support internal audits, customer configuration audits (FCA/PCA), and government reviews
- Set up and administer configuration management tools/systems (PLM/PDM systems such as Teamcenter, Windchill, or similar; DOORS or other requirements management tools)
- Coordinate cross-functionally with design engineering, systems engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and program management on change impacts, effectivity, and implementation
- Manage configuration item identification, numbering schemes, and revision control across hardware, software, firmware, and technical documentation
- Support release management for engineering drawings, specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and software version control
- Support proposal efforts with CM plan development, staffing estimates, and lessons-learned input
The position is located in El Segundo, California and may require travel to other sites or customer locations for reviews and audits.
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field
- Minimum 10 years of configuration management experience within the defense/aerospace industry, with direct exposure to aircraft or UAS programs
- Strong working knowledge of CM standards (EIA-649, MIL-HDBK-61) and demonstrated experience running or supporting CCBs
- Hands-on experience with PLM/PDM and/or requirements management tools
- Experience managing configuration baselines across the full program lifecycle (development through production/sustainment)
- Experience with FCA/PCA support and customer/government configuration audits
- AS9100 quality system experience
Preferred Requirements:
- Familiarity with UAS-specific configuration challenges (rapid iteration cycles, COTS component tracking, frequent software updates)
- Ability to obtain/maintain Secret/Top Secret/SCI clearance
