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Chief Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Raytheon

Program Chief Engineer (Onsite)

Goleta, CA

Raytheon brings the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering ... The Chief Engineer reports to the Advanced Systems Program Area Chief Engineer (PACE) and oversees ...

JLL

Assistant Chief Engineer - Union

Mountain View, CA · On-site

Assistant Chief Engineer - Union What this job involves - Under the direction of the Chief Engineer ... All site vehicles are shared assets with all Engineering team members in our 24/7 operations. Site ...

New

Shield AI

Chief Engineer, Autonomy (R4614)

San Diego, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

The Chief Engineer at Shield AI is responsible for solving complex technical challenges in ... Define and assign technical objectives, make key engineering decisions, and ensure the quality and ...

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Showing results 41-60

All JobsChief Engineering JobsChief Engineering Jobs in California

Chief Engineering information

See California salary details

$32.1K

$91.7K

$178.6K

How much do chief engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for chief engineering in California is $91,728.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,200.00 and $118,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a chief engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Chief Engineer, you need advanced engineering knowledge, leadership experience, and a relevant engineering degree—often supported by a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Familiarity with project management software, CAD systems, and industry-specific technical tools is typically required. Strong decision-making, communication, and team management skills help distinguish high-performing Chief Engineers. These competencies are crucial for successfully leading engineering teams, ensuring technical excellence, and delivering projects on time and within budget.

What is the difference between Chief Engineering vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectChief EngineeringMechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in engineering, often with leadership experienceBachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles overseeing engineering teams and projectsDesign, analysis, and development of mechanical systems
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in large corporations, industrial, and infrastructure projectsCommon in manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and product design

Chief Engineering roles focus on leadership, project oversight, and strategic planning within engineering teams, often requiring experience and advanced credentials. Mechanical Engineers are involved in designing and analyzing mechanical systems, typically with a focus on technical expertise. Both roles are essential in engineering industries but differ in scope and responsibilities.

What does a chief engineer do?

A Chief Engineering, often referred to as the Chief Engineer, oversees all engineering operations within an organization. They are responsible for managing engineering teams, developing technical strategies, ensuring that projects meet quality standards, and maintaining compliance with safety and industry regulations. The Chief Engineering also collaborates with other departments to support business objectives and drive innovation. Their leadership ensures the technical excellence and efficiency of engineering projects from conception to completion.

What are some common challenges faced by a chief engineering officer when leading cross-functional teams?

As a Chief Engineering Officer, one common challenge is ensuring effective communication and alignment between engineering and other departments, such as product management, design, and operations. Balancing technical priorities with business objectives often requires negotiation and strategic planning. Additionally, fostering a culture of innovation while maintaining productivity and meeting deadlines can be demanding. Successful Chief Engineering Officers proactively address these challenges by promoting transparency, encouraging collaboration, and implementing clear processes for decision-making.
What are popular job titles related to Chief Engineering jobs in California? For Chief Engineering jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Chief Engineering jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Chief Engineering jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Chief Engineering jobs? Cities in California with the most Chief Engineering job openings:
Chief Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Chief Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 79% Full Time, 15% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $91,728 per year, or $44.1 per hour.

Chief Engineer, Fury Science & Tech

Anduril Industries

Costa Mesa, CA • On-site

$254K - $336K/yr

Other

Re-posted 6 days ago

Anduril rating

9.1

Company rating: 9.1 out of 10

Anduril

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7.4

Company rating compared to similar companies: 7.4 out of 10

Manufacturers average

Based on 75,163 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Air Dominance and Strike (AD&S) Chief Engineering Team is a driving force behind the technical execution and strategic vision of our most critical programs. They are responsible for architecting a vision for product development and guiding multi-disciplinary teams to deliver effectively. They are expected to own the mission and to be deeply involved in building the eco-system that enables execution.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
As our Chief Engineer for Fury in Science & Tech, you will be the senior technical authority for conceptual design, applied S&T, and experimental development of advanced flight platforms. You will be highly creative, deeply understand customer needs, and personally drive technical execution through modeling, experimentation, build, and test of these air systems.
Concept Creation & Applied Science
  • Lead early conceptual design of entire advanced air vehicle platforms: configuration exploration, trade studies, and performance modeling.
  • Apply first-principles thinking across air vehicle engineering: aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, flight controls, GNC, low observables, autonomy, and mission systems to evaluate concepts.
  • Identify and mature key scientific and technical breakthroughs for new operational capability through novel air vehicle designs.
  • Balance creativity with engineering realism, ensuring executable technology paths for complete air vehicle solutions.
Systems Architecture & Integration
  • Define holistic system architectures integrating air vehicle design, mission systems, autonomy, and manufacturing from the outset.
  • Lead cross-disciplinary trade studies and modeling to understand interactions, sensitivities, and failure modes across the entire flight system.
  • Guide concepts from exploration to prototype-ready air vehicle designs.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or related technical field (advanced degree preferred).
  • 10+ years direct experience in conceptual design, architecture, or advanced development of complete air vehicle platforms.
  • Demonstrated experience leading conceptual design and early-phase system architecture for full aircraft or complex flight systems.
  • Strong systems-level thinking across all air vehicle engineering domains.
  • Hands-on experience with real flight hardware, experimentation, or test activities.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Prior experience with DOW technology development organizations (e.g., DARPA, AFRL) on advanced flight programs.
  • Experience transitioning entire flight systems from early research through prototype and operational demonstration.
  • Background in experimental or flight test environments, including test planning and execution for novel air vehicles.
  • Experience working on advanced or classified air vehicle platforms, including low-observable or signature-constrained designs.
  • Deep technical expertise in multiple core air vehicle domains (e.g., aerodynamics, flight controls, GNC, propulsion, structures, aircraft integration).
  • Demonstrated ability to thrive in fast-paced, non-traditional aerospace environments.
  • Currently obtains a Top Secret level clearance or higher

US Salary Range
$254,000-$336,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide 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. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
  • No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
  • Please always verify communications:
    • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
    • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to
  • Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
  • What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.

Working at Anduril

About Anduril, in their own words

From Anduril

As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril delivers cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the warfighter in months, not years.

What Anduril employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Anduril Industries logo

About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

Social media

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