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Head of Real Estate

El Segundo, California, United States

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:

We're looking for a Head of Real Estate to own CHAOS's real estate strategy and portfolio end-to-end — from site selection and transaction execution through lease/ownership structuring, capital planning, and long-term portfolio management — across a rapidly scaling, multi-site manufacturing, lab, and office footprint in the U.S. and internationally. This is a strategic and highly cross-functional leadership role: you'll partner closely with Finance, Legal, Security/Export Control, and Facilities and Workplace to ensure every site decision supports CHAOS's growth, program requirements, employee experience, and compliance obligations. You'll build the real estate function's standards, tools, and playbook as the company scales into new domestic and international markets.

Responsibilities:

  • Own CHAOS's real estate portfolio strategy: forecast space needs against headcount, program, and manufacturing growth plans, and translate them into a multi-year site plan across existing and prospective locations.

  • Lead site selection, including market analysis, test-fit studies, and comparison of lease vs. buy vs. build options, for new domestic and international locations.

  • Negotiate and execute leases, purchases, subleases, renewals, and terminations; manage brokers, landlords, and outside real estate counsel through the full transaction lifecycle.

  • Partner with Legal, Finance, and Security/Export Control early in site selection and transaction structuring to flag jurisdictional, tax, and export control/ITAR considerations before commitments are made, especially for international and defense-program-adjacent sites.

  • Own the real estate due diligence process for new sites and acquisitions, coordinating with Facilities and Workplace on physical condition assessments, code compliance, and buildout scope and cost.

  • Build and manage the real estate capital and operating budget across the portfolio; track lease obligations, critical dates (options, renewals, expirations), and portfolio-wide cost per square foot.

  • Partner closely with Facilities and Workplace throughout the site lifecycle — handing off new sites smoothly from transaction close into design, buildout, and move-in, and aligning on space planning, seating/occupancy standards, amenities, and day-to-day operations for existing sites.

  • Develop and maintain a real estate playbook (templates, standard lease terms, site evaluation criteria, approval workflows) to support consistent, fast decision-making as CHAOS scales.

  • Maintain a real estate portfolio database/tracker (lease terms, square footage, key dates, ownership structure) as a single source of truth for the company.

  • Present portfolio strategy, transaction recommendations, and budget updates to executive leadership and the board as needed.

Minimum Requirements:

  • 10+ years of experience in corporate real estate, real estate transactions, or a brokerage role, including direct responsibility for lease/purchase negotiation and portfolio strategy.

  • Demonstrated experience managing a multi-site portfolio across several markets, including sites supporting industrial, manufacturing, lab, or office uses.

  • Strong command of lease economics, deal structuring, and real estate financial modeling (NPV/IRR of lease vs. buy, total cost of occupancy, etc.).

  • Experience managing outside brokers and real estate counsel, and negotiating directly with landlords/sellers.

  • Ability to operate with significant autonomy in a fast-scaling environment with evolving process and limited existing infrastructure.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort presenting to executive leadership.

  • Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as the portfolio requires.

Preferred Requirements:

  • Experience with real estate in defense, government, or other regulated/secure-facility environments.

  • Familiarity with export control considerations (ITAR/EAR) affecting international site selection and facility access, or willingness to partner closely with export control counsel on these decisions.

  • Experience sourcing and standing up international sites, including familiarity with local market practices and labor/real estate regulations in target regions.

  • Experience supporting M&A real estate diligence (lease assumption, assignment, and integration planning).

  • Background partnering closely with, or directly managing, a Facilities and Workplace organization.

  • Eligibility for a U.S. government security clearance.

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: 350 employees and counting across 5 global offices
Salary Range: $145,000-$180,000

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. 

 

Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.

 

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Please note this position does not necessarily require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. 

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EXPORT CONTROLS - This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Your responses to the questions below will be used solely to determine your eligibility under U.S. law to receive information and materials subject to U.S. export controls.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in CHAOS Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

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