Technical Sourcer (Contract)

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:

This is a 12-month contract position with the potential for extension or full-time conversion based on performance and business needs. This role offers a strong opportunity to gain exposure to a fast-paced, high-growth recruiting environment and make a meaningful impact from day one. 

We are seeking a Technical Sourcer to own top-of-funnel for our highest-priority engineering searches. You will partner closely with our recruiting team and engineering hiring managers to map talent markets, identify exceptional engineers who are not actively looking, and turn thoughtful outreach into real conversations. This role is foundational as we scale: you will help shape our sourcing strategy, tools, and processes in a small, fast-moving, mission-driven environment.

We care more about raw ability, curiosity, and drive than a traditional recruiting path. This could be a great fit for a Sourcer ready to take on more ownership, an agency Recruiter looking to move in-house, or a Recruiter who would enjoy focusing solely on top-of-funnel. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience sourcing engineering talent, ideally within defense or other highly regulated technical industries.

If you are passionate about finding top-tier talent and contributing to impactful, mission-driven work, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with our Recruiting Lead, Recruiters, and hiring managers to thoroughly understand the requirements, team dynamics, and organizational goals for each priority engineering role, and translate them into effective sourcing strategies
• Own top-of-funnel for high-priority engineering searches, from mapping talent markets and target companies to building and managing a healthy pipeline of qualified candidates
• Develop and implement creative strategies for competitive and hard-to-fill searches, leveraging tactical research, referrals, networking events, and sourcing campaigns
• Write and send personalized outreach that engages passive candidates, including senior engineers who are not looking, and builds relationships from the first interaction
• Research companies, teams, and communities to identify candidates others might miss
• Deeply understand each team's product, roadmap, and culture to effectively position roles and represent CHAOS and its mission authentically
• Build expertise in critical skills, target companies, and industry trends to guide sourcing strategies and inform hiring decisions
• Maintain and analyze pipeline metrics, including outreach response rates and sourced-to-screen conversion, and iterate on strategy based on what is working
• Utilize data and analytics to influence sourcing strategies, ensure data integrity, and track progress toward recruitment goals
• Partner with Recruiting Coordinators, Recruiters, and Operations team members to ensure seamless handoffs and efficient operational workflows
• Experiment with AI and new tools to make sourcing faster, smarter, and more effective, and help build and refine our sourcing processes as the team scales
• Deliver an outstanding, proactive candidate experience throughout the process
• Work a minimum of 3 days onsite per week out of our office in Los Angeles (El Segundo), California

Minimum Requirements:

• 3+ years of sourcing or recruiting experience, ideally supporting technical or engineering roles
• Proven track record of identifying and engaging passive technical candidates, including experienced engineers, for complex or hard-to-fill positions
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling, personalized outreach
• Strong understanding of engineering roles and technical skill sets such as software, hardware, systems, or manufacturing, and curiosity to keep learning what differentiates great engineers
• Hands-on experience with sourcing tools and platforms (e.g., LinkedIn Recruiter, GitHub, Juicebox.ai and other sourcing and research tools)
• Ability to manage multiple searches and candidate pipelines simultaneously with strong attention to detail
• Data-driven mindset with experience tracking and improving sourcing metrics
• High ownership, adaptability, and comfort operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Familiarity with ATS systems (Greenhouse preferred) and structured recruiting practices

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience sourcing for engineering roles within the defense industry or similarly regulated technical environments such as aerospace, government, or advanced manufacturing
• Background supporting early-stage or high-growth companies, including building sourcing processes and infrastructure
• Experience at a recruiting agency or executive search firm
• A track record of outperforming goals or taking on responsibility quickly
• Genuine interest in defense technology, startups, and the mission behind CHAOS
• Ability to operate independently while maintaining strong collaboration with cross-functional partners
• Resilient and creative problem-solver who can adapt quickly to changing hiring needs
• Strong communication style that is direct, timely, and collaborative
• High ownership mindset with a willingness to improve processes and contribute beyond defined responsibilities

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, fully-stocked kitchen, 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: 450+ 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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