Sr. Mechanical Engineer
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, and subject matter experts scaling America's directed energy dominance. The first cost-effective, reliable and robust laser weapon system. We need a Senior Mechanical Engineer who owns major mechanical subsystems on Archimedes end to end and makes them survive the field. That means ruggedization of a fiber laser system against shock, vibration, moisture and environmental extremes, plus the structure, thermal management and precision packaging around the laser head and beam director. You'll work hands-on from architecture through bench validation, field correlation and the production handoff to our Detroit manufacturing hub, alongside our Staff and Principal engineers.
Requirements
- 5+ years in mechanical engineering on ruggedized, field-deployable or high-performance systems
- At least one subsystem you took from prototype to production
- Strong FEA (ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus or equivalent) and the bench work to back it up
- Hands-on design to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards
- Thermal design for high-power systems
- Evidence you learn fast. You got effective in a new domain in months, not years
- BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace or related field. What you've built matters more than where you went to school.
- 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, and software teams
- Self directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told
- This role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require U.S. Person status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a U.S. Person: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Nice To Haves
- Laser, directed energy or high-power hardware
- Optical bench or precision instrument ruggedization
- MIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC awareness for mechanical integration
- Vehicle-mounted systems
- Manufacturing ramp experience
Responsibilities
- Mechanical design of major subsystems: laser source and head enclosures, gimbal and beam director structure, mounts
- Survivability to MIL-STD shock, vibration, humidity, dust and austere environments
- Thermal management for high-power laser and electronics packaging
- Precision and optomechanical packaging that holds alignment through shock and thermal cycles
- FEA (static, modal, random vibration, shock response spectrum) and correlation to test
- Test rigs, instrumentation and bench validation you build and run yourself
- DFM and the handoff to manufacturing in Detroit
- Design reviews and raising the bar for the junior ME team
Benefits
- Competitive salary and equity
- United Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Flexible 18 days PTO plus 5 sick days
- Travel to field test events and range days
- Covered daily lunches and office snacks and drinks
- E-bike and 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
