Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Ruggedization
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. We are building the first cost-effective, reliable, and robust laser weapon system. Our namesake, Marcus Aurelius, wrote about doing the work in front of you, every day, without excuses. Henry Ford didn't wait for permission to reinvent manufacturing. That's how we operate — small team, unreasonable output, 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.
Requirements
- 5 to 10+ years in mechanical engineering on real, fielded hardware
- Direct, hands-on experience designing turrets or gimbals for military applications. Remote weapon station (RWS) backgrounds strongly preferred.
- Track record leading mechanical design on a system, not just supporting it
- Expert in CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, or similar)
- Strong FEA background (ANSYS, SolidWorks Simulation) with hands-on use, not just review
- Experience planning and executing environmental, vibration, and shock testing on real hardware
- Solid grounding in materials, stress analysis, and manufacturing methods including machining, casting, and sheet metal
- Extreme bias for action. You'd rather build a prototype tomorrow than model it for a month
- You characterize your own systems before the field does
- Comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment
- You debug from first principles, not intuition alone
- Clear communicator across mechanical, electrical, optical, controls, and software teams
- Self directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told
Nice To Haves
- Direct experience on directed energy, counter-UAS, or air defense programs
- Slip-ring, rotary joint, and cable management design for continuous-rotation systems
- Vacuum or environmental chamber test experience
- EMI / EMC design and shielding
- Active security clearance or ability to obtain one
- Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, and related qualification standards
Responsibilities
- Mechanical design lead for the turret and gimbal subsystems including precision pointing structures, slew bearings, drive trains, and stowed-to-deployed transitions
- Ruggedization across the full system for outdoor and field-deployed conditions including shock, vibration, environmental sealing, and EMI
- Stress, vibration, and modal analysis using ANSYS, SolidWorks Simulation, or equivalent
- Hands-on prototyping, fabrication coordination, and test fixture development
- Plan and execute environmental, vibration, shock, and durability testing under real field conditions
- DFM and supplier engagement to take designs from prototype into production-ready
- Materials selection across metals, polymers, and composites for strength, stiffness, thermal behavior, and EMI compatibility
- GD&T drawings, BOMs, and assembly documentation meeting MIL-STD and ITAR requirements
- Cross-functional partnership with optics, electronics, firmware, controls, and the laser team during system integration and field testing
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
