---
title: 'Senior Backend Software Engineer (Python / FastAPI) at CHAOS Industries'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-backend-software-engineer-python-fastapi-chaos-industries-san-francisco-vt466m08jwzw'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Senior Backend Software Engineer (Python / FastAPI) at CHAOS Industries

- **Company:** CHAOS Industries
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-11-03
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/chaosindustries/jobs/5282952007

## Job description

Senior Backend Software Engineer (Python / FastAPI)

San Francisco, CA (On-site) | $140k–$240k base + pre-IPO stock options

Build the real-time backend that turns radar sensor data into decisions people can act on.

CHAOS Industries is a defense tech company founded in 2022 that has raised $1B from investors including 8VC, Accel and Valor Equity Partners. You’ll own the backend services and data pipelines that move sensor data from radars in the field to the operators who depend on it.

## What you’ll do

- Build high-performance Python services that ingest, process and distribute real-time sensor data with low latency, high reliability and security at scale
- Build high-performance Python (FastAPI) services that ingest, process and distribute real-time data securely at scale
- Own streaming, storage and replay of detections, tracks and telemetry for live and playback 3D geospatial views
- Build the decision layer that coordinates a growing fleet of sensors as field conditions change
- Shape platform architecture for new capabilities, scale and long-term maintainability

You’re a fit if you have

- Strong production experience building backend services in Python (FastAPI or similar)
- Built real-time or streaming data systems: message queues, WebSockets, time-series data
- Owned a production system end to end: designed it, shipped it, fixed it when it broke
- Real leverage from AI coding tools, with a considered view on what to delegate and what not to
- Based in, or willing to relocate to, the San Francisco Bay Area (this role is on-site)

## Nice to have

- Geospatial or 3D data visualization in TypeScript and React
- Edge computing, or moving data reliably over constrained or unreliable networks
- Azure or another major cloud platform
- Hardware, sensors, robotics, telemetry or defense systems

## What you get

- Medical, dental and vision, 100% paid by the company
- 401k with 50% company match up to 6% of pay, plus FSA, HSA and life insurance
- Pre-IPO stock options, relocation assistance, and annual bonuses (coming soon)
- Unlimited PTO and a casual dress code
- Free daily lunch while you’re working on-site, plus a fully stocked kitchen

Pay range shown is base salary only and excludes equity, bonuses and benefits. Actual offers vary based on experience, skills and business needs.

Please note: Must be a U.S. Person as defined under U.S. export control regulations, as required for access to controlled technology, and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Apply now. It takes just 2 minutes.

## About CHAOS Industries

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: CHAOS Industries develops multi-application defense technologies, including radar, detection, and electronic warfare systems powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), to deliver domain dominance for warfighters and critical infrastructure.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D, Unicorn)
- **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: John T. (CEO), Bo Marr (Co-founder & CTO), Brett Cummings (Co-founder & President)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Defense and Space Manufacturing
- Target customers: U.S. Department of Defense (Army, Air Force, Navy), allied governments, border protection agencies, commercial air operators
- Mission: Redefining modern defense by giving warfighters and operators the ultimate advantage through faster sensing, detection, and effects.

## Products & Services
- **Hydra Platform**: A multi-application software-defined platform providing land-based, sea-based, and air-based detection, communications, and electronic effects. It is the core operating system for CHAOS’s product portfolio.
- **VANQUISH**: A distributed early-warning radar system designed for air defense and counter-UAS (CUAS) missions. It provides long-range detection (up to 250 km) at a low cost per square kilometer ($100/km²).
- **Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™)**: The proprietary technology that enables time-synchronized networking of sensors and effectors, improving sensing, detection, and engagement capabilities across a wide area.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: $4.5 billion (as of November 2025, per Series D announcement)
- **Total Funding**: $1.002 billion across four rounds
  - Series A (March 2023): $70M led by 8VC
  - Series B (November 2024): $145M led by Accel
  - Series C (May 2025): $275M led by New Enterprise Associates and Accel
  - Series D (November 2025): $510M led by Valor Equity Partners, with continued backing from 8VC and Accel
- **Annual Revenue**: $75M (estimated)
- **Notable Investors**: Valor Equity Partners, Accel, 8VC, New Enterprise Associates, AFWERX, Overmatch Ventures
- **Key Partners**: U.S. Army (added to G‑TEAD Marketplace in December 2025)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew 100% YoY (to 143 employees)
  - Active job postings increased 534.8% YoY
  - Acquired Ziva Corporation (November 2025) and CHAOS INDUSTRIES UK LIMITED
  - Added to the U.S. Army’s G‑TEAD Marketplace for accelerated acquisition
  - Expanded presence to Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego, London, and Amman

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary CDN™ Technology**: A unique time-synchronized networking approach that enables a distributed, software-defined sensor grid, replacing monolithic Cold War-era radar systems.
- **Speed to Market**: The company’s products are being added to government acquisition marketplaces (e.g., G‑TEAD) within months of launch, demonstrating rapid fielding capability.
- **Talent Density**: Strong hiring from top defense tech companies (Anduril, Palantir, Epirus, RTX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman) and a high proportion of technical staff (36% of workforce).
- **Government Traction**: Direct integration with the U.S. Army and Air Force acquisition pathways, plus a dedicated federal lobbying team.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling Production**: Moving from R&D to mass production of radar and effector systems, with a focus on cost reduction ($100/km² protection).
- **International Expansion**: Building business development teams in Europe (London) and the Middle East (Amman) to capture allied defense markets.
- **Product Portfolio Diversification**: Expanding beyond radar into electronic warfare, communications, and effector systems through the Hydra platform and acquisitions.
- **Talent Acquisition**: Aggressively hiring across engineering, business development, and operations to support rapid growth.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Work**: Employees work on “the world’s most urgent problems”—restoring American air superiority and protecting critical infrastructure.
- **Rapid Growth Trajectory**: The company has grown from a startup to a $4.5B unicorn in three years, offering significant career advancement opportunities.
- **Engineering Culture**: 36% of the workforce is in technical roles, with a focus on cutting-edge radar, signal processing, and machine learning. Key leadership includes a VP of Machine Learning.
- **Location Flexibility**: Offices in Los Angeles (HQ), Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego, London, and Amman. Roles span multiple locations.
- **Compensation**: Employee reviews rate compensation at 4.5/5.0.
- **Veteran-Friendly**: The company actively recruits veterans.
- **Recent Departures Note**: Some senior leaders (VP ML Infra, Operations Partner) have left in early 2026, suggesting a high-intensity environment.

## Sources
1. [chaosinc.com](https://www.chaosinc.com/)
2. [Greenhouse Careers](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/chaosindustries)
3. [CB Insights](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/chaos-industries)
4. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaosindustries)
5. [chaosinc.com/team](https://www.chaosinc.com/team)

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