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Salary: USD 150,000 - 230,000 / annual
CHAOS Industries, a defense technology company founded in 2022 and backed by $1 billion in funding from leading investors including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners, is seeking a Staff Thermal Engineer to join its engineering team in El Segundo, California.
The role encompasses thermal and fluid-flow analysis of electronic components, circuit card assemblies (CCAs), and electronic enclosures across the full product lifecycle—from design trades and detailed analysis through hardware integration, qualification, and production support. You will analyze heat transfer and internal fluid flow, including air and liquid coolants in cabinets, coldplates, and heat exchangers. Working closely with electrical and mechanical designers, you will provide technical guidance to improve thermal performance and resolve design challenges. You will plan and support thermal tests, perform data reduction, and correlate thermal models with test results to validate designs.
Key responsibilities include performing hand calculations and detailed thermal analyses; developing and using ANSYS Icepak models for electronics cooling and internal air and liquid coolant flow; analyzing cooling systems including cabinets, coldplates, heat exchangers, and related hardware; assessing temperatures, flow distribution, pressure drop, and thermal margins across expected operating conditions; defining model inputs, assumptions, and boundary conditions; providing practical thermal design guidance to cross-functional teams; identifying thermal risks and recommending design changes; participating in design and peer reviews; supporting board and system bring-up, qualification, troubleshooting, and production issues; and documenting analysis methods, assumptions, results, and recommendations.
This is a full-time, on-site position. The posting notes that the requisition is open to candidates who may be considered for a lower or higher job level, with final level and grade determined based on relevant experience, skills, and qualifications.
CHAOS offers competitive benefits including 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with 50% company match up to 6% of pay; FSA and HSA; life insurance; free daily lunch while working onsite; fully-stocked kitchen; unlimited PTO; casual dress code; competitive base salaries; generous pre-IPO stock option grants; and relocation assistance.
**Requirements:**
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related STEM field and 7+ years of relevant experience
- Hands-on experience performing electronics thermal analysis using ANSYS Icepak
- Strong working knowledge of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics
- Experience analyzing thermal performance of electronic components, circuit boards, or enclosures
- Ability to perform engineering hand calculations and assess when detailed simulation is needed
- Experience analyzing liquid-cooled coldplates and heat exchangers
- Experience with forced-air cooling, flow distribution, pressure-drop analysis, and fan performance
- Strong technical communication skills and ability to work independently across engineering disciplines
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
**Preferred Qualifications:**
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
- Experience with Macroflow, STAR-CCM+, NX thermal, or other thermal or CFD software
- Experience planning or supporting thermal tests, reducing test data, or correlating analysis models
- Experience with aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability electronic systems
- Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, RTCA/DO-160, or VITA-48
