Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Aurelius Systems•San Francisco, CA

27d•Hybrid

About The Position

Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup focused on building autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS, specifically laser weapons to neutralize drones. We are a dedicated team of engineers, former military personnel, and subject matter experts committed to advancing America's directed energy capabilities. Our mission is to create the first cost-effective, reliable, and robust laser weapon system. We operate with a philosophy of taking direct action, achieving high output with a small team, and avoiding excuses. With facilities in San Francisco and a manufacturing hub in Detroit, we conduct field tests weekly on our private 400-acre range.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering with a focus on ruggedized, field-deployable, or high-performance systems.
Proven experience taking at least one subsystem from prototype to production.
Strong proficiency in FEA (ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent) with supporting bench validation.
Hands-on design experience meeting MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards.
Experience with thermal design for high-power systems.
Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and become effective in new domains within months.
Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or certain protected classes of asylees and refugees).

Nice To Haves

Experience with lasers, directed energy, or high-power hardware.
Expertise in optical bench or precision instrument ruggedization.
Familiarity with MIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC for mechanical integration.
Experience with vehicle-mounted systems.
Experience in manufacturing ramp-up.

Responsibilities

Mechanical design of major subsystems including laser source and head enclosures, gimbal and beam director structure, and mounts.
Ensuring survivability against MIL-STD shock, vibration, humidity, dust, and austere environments.
Developing thermal management solutions for high-power lasers and electronics packaging.
Creating precision and optomechanical packaging that maintains alignment under shock and thermal stress.
Performing FEA analysis (static, modal, random vibration, shock response spectrum) and correlating results with test data.
Designing, building, and operating test rigs and instrumentation for bench validation.
Implementing Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles and managing the handoff to the Detroit manufacturing hub.
Conducting design reviews and elevating the standards for the junior Mechanical Engineering team.