Sr. Machine Learning Engineer, Perception
About The Position
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup building autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We build laser weapons to shoot down drones. We are a small team of engineers, former US military operators, and subject matter experts scaling America's directed energy dominance. The first cost-effective, reliable, and robust laser weapon system. We operate with a small team, unreasonable output, and no hiding behind the unachievable. In addition to our San Francisco lab, we’ve opened a Detroit manufacturing hub and we field test weekly on our own 400-acre private range. We need a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to lead the perception stack for Archimedes — detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion across the targeting chain. You're the seasoned engineer who's shipped perception in something that had to work outside a benchmark. You'll partner directly with our CTO and the robotics software team, and own perception as a domain.
Requirements
- 5+ years building and shipping perception systems on real hardware
- Strong Python and C++ with deep ML engineering experience
- Computer vision, tracking, and detection in real-time, real-world conditions
- On-device deployment experience using TensorRT, ONNX, or equivalent
- Track record optimizing perception for embedded compute and latency budgets
- You've shipped a perception system that ran on real hardware against real targets.
- You know the gap between paper SOTA and what survives field conditions.
- U.S. Person status required due to access to export-controlled information.
Nice To Haves
- Counter-UAS or aerial target tracking experience
- Radar or RF perception
- Classified program experience
- Sensor fusion in adversarial or denied environments
Responsibilities
- Perception architecture across detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion
- ML model development, training pipelines, and on-device deployment
- Multi-sensor fusion across EO/IR and other sensors as relevant to the targeting chain
- Real-time performance optimization on embedded targets
- Mentorship of perception engineers as the team grows
- Direct partnership with controls, robotics SWE, and hardware on what's actually achievable
Benefits
- Competitive salary + equity
- United Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Flexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days
- Travel to field test events and range days
- Covered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks
- E-bike / scooter stipend (Up to $500)
- Direct access to leadership and real ownership over your work
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
