Chief Field Systems Engineer

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with omniscient systems purpose-built for today’s realities. Designed and built by top U.S. military veterans and Silicon Valley innovators, CHAOS Industries’ 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. In a world where technological threats move at unprecedented speed, CHAOS Industries delivers advanced sensing and detection solutions that give the ultimate advantage: time.

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised $1B in total funding from leading investors including 8VC, Accel, and NEA. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit

• Team mandate & collaboration:
  This team exists to make sure our systems work - not just in theory, but in the dirt, on‑site, under time pressure. You’ll partner daily with Systems Engineering, Hardware, Software, Product, Mission Operations, and customers. Expect a hands‑rolled-up environment where clear thinking, strong judgment, and technical credibility matter.
• What you’ll own:
  You will have complete ownership of the transition from “factory complete” to “field ready,” including acceptance criteria, ruggedization, field procedures, and continuous performance improvement based on real‑world use.

• Technical & Field Ownership
  • Serve as the lead engineer accountable for performance of expeditionary radar and sensor systems in the field.
  • Own and continuously refine system acceptance criteria for transitioning products from factory to field deployment.
  • Identify, prioritize, and drive updates required to improve field usability, reliability, and performance.
  • Lead ruggedization initiatives (mechanical, electrical, software, procedural) required to achieve true field readiness.
  • Partner with hardware, software, and systems engineering teams to update designs for sustained field operation.
• Field Operations & SOP Development
  • Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for successful field deployments, including:
  • Concept of operations (CONOPS), mission planning, and sensor emplacement for maximum effect.
  • System bring‑up, out‑of‑the‑box checks, and startup testing.
  • Field debugging and fault isolation.
  • Mode parameter updates to maximize performance, reduce clutter, and mitigate false alarms.
  • Field calibration procedures for array and system performance.
  • Work closely with system engineers to refine mode parameters, beam scanning techniques, and radar processing approaches based on field results.
• Leadership & Team Building
  • Build, lead, and mentor a team of Field Systems Engineers and Forward Deployed Engineers.
  • Set technical standards, operating rhythms, and escalation paths for field engineering work.
  • Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex field issues.
  • Develop best practices for knowledge sharing between field teams and core engineering.
• Customer & Mission Interface
  • Support critical customer engagements and deployments as needed.
  • Translate customer feedback and mission outcomes into actionable engineering priorities.
  • Ensure lessons learned in the field are systematically captured and fed back into product development.
• Travel & Physical Demands
  • Travel up to ~30–40% domestically and internationally to support deployments, testing, and customer engagements.
  • Ability to work in austere environments and support field operations.
  • Must be able to lift and handle equipment (up to ~50 lbs), work outdoors, and support extended on‑site deployments.

• Proven ownership of complex hardware–software systems deployed outside of a lab environment.
• Hands‑on experience taking systems from prototype through field testing and operational deployment.
• Deep understanding of radar, RF sensing, or analogous complex sensor systems.
• Demonstrated experience mitigating false alarms, clutter, or noise in real‑world sensing environments.
• Experience with array calibration and maintaining system performance over time.
• Strong systems‑level…