Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer

• 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
• border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly
• 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
• Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle
• London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com .
• Role Overview:
• CHAOS is seeking a skilled Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Engineer to join our hardware engineering team. In this role, you will design, build
• maintain HIL simulation environments that enable full system integration testing of our Effector platforms — bridging the gap between software development and flight hardware. You will work closely with GNC, software
• systems engineers to ensure our vehicles are thoroughly validated before ever leaving the ground.
• The ideal candidate has hands-on experience building and operating HIL or SIL simulation environments for embedded or autonomous systems.
• This is a full-time, on-site position in El Segundo, CA

Responsibilities

• Design and develop HIL test benches for full effector system integration, including flight controllers, ESCs, sensors, and ground control systems
• Integrate high-fidelity simulation models (flight dynamics, actuator, and sensor models) that accurately replicate real-world behavior
• Integrate hardware components - including autopilot boards, communication links, power systems, and peripherals - into HIL systems
• Develop automated test suites and regression frameworks to validate software and firmware changes against HIL environments
• Collaborate with software and integration/test engineers to define test plans and acceptance criteria for new features and hardware releases
• Debug complex hardware-software interactions by analyzing HIL test data, logs, and telemetry
• Maintain and improve test infrastructure, including simulation software, real-time targets, and data acquisition systems
• Document test methodologies, procedures, and results clearly for cross-functional team use
• Support transition of HIL-validated systems to integration and flight test phases
• Minimum Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in hardware-in-the-loop testing, embedded systems integration, or a closely related discipline
• Hands-on experience building and operating HIL or SIL simulation environments for embedded or autonomous systems
• Proficiency in real-time simulation platforms (e.g., dSPACE, NI VeriStand, or similar)
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C/C++ for test automation and system scripting
• Familiarity with flight controller software such as PX4, ArduPilot, or equivalent
• Experience with communication protocols common in drone systems (MAVLink, CAN, UART, SPI, I2C)
• Solid understanding of effector system architecture, including propulsion, navigation, and control loops
• Experience with version control systems and CI/CD pipelines for automated testing
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills across hardware and software domains
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
• Preferred Requirements:
• Master’s degree in Engineering
• Experience with ROS or ROS 2 for simulation and integration testing
• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink for flight dynamics or control system modeling
• Exposure to flight test operations and transitioning systems from HIL to field testing
• Experience with FPGA firmware development or embedded Linux environments
• Knowledge of RF systems, GPS signal simulation, or sensor fusion techniques
• 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
• $130k-190k
• The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity
• 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.
• #LI-onsite