Aerodynamics 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, 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 Overview:

CHAOS is seeking an Aerodynamics Engineer to lead the aerodynamic design, analysis, and flight performance optimization of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems and missile-class vehicles. This role will be responsible for developing aerodynamic models, performing high-fidelity CFD analysis, supporting flight test campaigns, and driving vehicle design decisions from concept through operational deployment.
You will work closely with guidance, navigation & control (GNC), propulsion, structures, manufacturing, and flight test teams to create highly maneuverable, efficient, and producible air vehicles capable of operating in demanding mission environments.

Responsibilities:

• Lead aerodynamic design and analysis of interceptors and long-endurance uncrewed vehicles.
• Develop aerodynamic databases and models for use in 6-DOF simulation, GNC development, and mission analysis.
• Perform CFD analyses across subsonic, transonic, and supersonic regimes.
• Conduct trade studies evaluating wing planforms, control surfaces, airfoil selection, vehicle sizing, and stability characteristics.
• Analyze static and dynamic stability, control effectiveness, trim conditions, and maneuver performance.
• Evaluate aerodynamic interactions between airframe, propulsion systems, and payloads.
• Develop reduced-order aerodynamic models from CFD and test data.
• Support wind tunnel testing, captive-carry testing, and flight test activities.
• Correlate CFD, wind tunnel, and flight test results to improve model fidelity and vehicle performance predictions.
• Partner with GNC engineers to characterize vehicle dynamics and improve closed-loop performance.

Minimum Requirements:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in aerodynamic design and analysis of fixed-wing aircraft, missiles, guided munitions, or unmanned aerial systems.
• Strong understanding of compressible and incompressible aerodynamics, flight mechanics, stability and control, and aircraft/missile performance.
• Experience with Missile DATCOM or similar first order solvers
• Experience with CFD tools such as STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, or equivalent.
• Experience generating aerodynamic coefficients and force/moment databases.
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering analysis tools.

Preferred Requirements: 

• MS or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or similar discipline
• Experience with missile, interceptor, or high-performance UAS development programs.
• Experience developing aerodynamic models for 6-DOF simulations.
• Experience with high speed vehicles
• Experience supporting wind tunnel campaigns and flight test programs.
• Active U.S. Security Clearance or ability to obtain one.

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

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. 

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