{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"3e40014c02b3f53e89a00038","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3e40014c02b3f53e89a00038","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3e40014c02b3f53e89a00038","title":"Mechanical Engineer","description":"Who We Are:\nAurelius 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.\nWe're 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.\nOur namesake isn't an accident. 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.\nIn 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.\n\nThe Role and Your Impact:\nWe need a Mechanical Engineer focused on design ruggedization across Archimedes — survivability across shock, vibration, moisture, and environmental extremes for a fiber laser system in a deployable, field-rugged package. MIL-spec is one of the harder problems in directed energy and a make-or-break domain for the platform. You'll work hands on from architecture through bench validation and field correlation.\nWhat You'll Own:\nStructural and mechanical design for survivability across MIL-STD shock, vibration, humidity, dust, and austere environments\nRuggedization architecture across the laser source, laser head, and supporting subsystems\nSealing, ingress protection, and moisture/corrosion mitigation strategies (IP ratings, conformal coatings, gasket design)\nVibration isolation system design including isolator selection, snubbing, and modal analysis\nShock analysis and design including fragility assessment, cushion design, and drop/transportation survivability\nFEA modeling including static, modal, random vibration, and shock response spectrum analysis\nStructural validation including instrumentation, test rigs, and correlation to model\nTrades between ruggedization performance, mass, stiffness, and packaging across the system\nWhat We're Looking For:\n3 to 10+ years in mechanical engineering on ruggedized or field-deployable systems\nStrong FEA experience with ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent\nHands on experience designing to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards\nTrack record building and instrumenting structural test rigs and correlating model to bench\nExperience with sealing, EMI/EMC gaskets, conformal coating, and environmental protection design\nExperience designing enclosures and structures for field-deployable or military conditions\n\nWhere you probably come from: Defense hardware companies, airborne or ground vehicle systems, ruggedized electronics enclosures, directed energy programs, or field-deployed sensor or radar systems.\nWe want to talk if: You've designed a system that had to survive shock, vibration, and environmental extremes in a constrained, deployable package. You can model it, build it, instrument it, and correlate it.\nNot a fit if: You've only done commercial or consumer product design, your work is simulation-only with no bench validation, or you've never designed to a MIL or DO-160 standard.\nNice to Haves:\nDirect laser system or directed energy hardware experience\nMIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC design awareness for mechanical hardware integration\nExperience with optical bench or precision instrument ruggedization\nField-deployable or vehicle-mounted system experience\nEducation:\nBS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field. PhD welcome but not required.\nHow You Operate:\nExtreme bias for action. You'd rather build and instrument the rig tomorrow than model it for a month\nYou characterize your own systems before the field does\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment\nClear communicator across mechanical, electrical, optical, and software teams\nSelf directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told\nHow We Work:\nCore hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. When we're sprinting toward a demo or field test, the team ramps up — nights, weekends, whatever it takes to ship. When the sprint lands, we ramp down. We don't manufacture intensity for show.\nBenefits:\nCompetitive salary and equity\nUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage\nFlexible 18 days PTO plus 5 sick days\nTravel to field test events and range days\nCovered daily lunches and office snacks and drinks\nE-bike and scooter stipend up to $500\nDirect access to leadership and real ownership over your work\nExport Control Notice:\nThis 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).\nCompensation Range: $130K - $180K","company":"Aurelius Systems","rawCompany":"aurelius systems","city":"Millbrae","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-05-04T07:58:20.966Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2141.00","title":"Mechanical Engineers","slug":"mechanical-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"},{"code":"17-2011.00","title":"Aerospace Engineers","slug":"aerospace-engineers"}],"industries":[{"code":"334511","title":"Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing","slug":"search-detection-navigation-guidance-aeronautical-and-nautical-system-and-instrument-manufacturing"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"},{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Mechanical Engineer","description":"Who We Are:\nAurelius 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.\nWe're 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.\nOur namesake isn't an accident. 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.\nIn 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.\n\nThe Role and Your Impact:\nWe need a Mechanical Engineer focused on design ruggedization across Archimedes — survivability across shock, vibration, moisture, and environmental extremes for a fiber laser system in a deployable, field-rugged package. MIL-spec is one of the harder problems in directed energy and a make-or-break domain for the platform. You'll work hands on from architecture through bench validation and field correlation.\nWhat You'll Own:\nStructural and mechanical design for survivability across MIL-STD shock, vibration, humidity, dust, and austere environments\nRuggedization architecture across the laser source, laser head, and supporting subsystems\nSealing, ingress protection, and moisture/corrosion mitigation strategies (IP ratings, conformal coatings, gasket design)\nVibration isolation system design including isolator selection, snubbing, and modal analysis\nShock analysis and design including fragility assessment, cushion design, and drop/transportation survivability\nFEA modeling including static, modal, random vibration, and shock response spectrum analysis\nStructural validation including instrumentation, test rigs, and correlation to model\nTrades between ruggedization performance, mass, stiffness, and packaging across the system\nWhat We're Looking For:\n3 to 10+ years in mechanical engineering on ruggedized or field-deployable systems\nStrong FEA experience with ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent\nHands on experience designing to MIL-STD-810 or equivalent shock and vibration standards\nTrack record building and instrumenting structural test rigs and correlating model to bench\nExperience with sealing, EMI/EMC gaskets, conformal coating, and environmental protection design\nExperience designing enclosures and structures for field-deployable or military conditions\n\nWhere you probably come from: Defense hardware companies, airborne or ground vehicle systems, ruggedized electronics enclosures, directed energy programs, or field-deployed sensor or radar systems.\nWe want to talk if: You've designed a system that had to survive shock, vibration, and environmental extremes in a constrained, deployable package. You can model it, build it, instrument it, and correlate it.\nNot a fit if: You've only done commercial or consumer product design, your work is simulation-only with no bench validation, or you've never designed to a MIL or DO-160 standard.\nNice to Haves:\nDirect laser system or directed energy hardware experience\nMIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC design awareness for mechanical hardware integration\nExperience with optical bench or precision instrument ruggedization\nField-deployable or vehicle-mounted system experience\nEducation:\nBS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field. PhD welcome but not required.\nHow You Operate:\nExtreme bias for action. You'd rather build and instrument the rig tomorrow than model it for a month\nYou characterize your own systems before the field does\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment\nClear communicator across mechanical, electrical, optical, and software teams\nSelf directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told\nHow We Work:\nCore hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. When we're sprinting toward a demo or field test, the team ramps up — nights, weekends, whatever it takes to ship. When the sprint lands, we ramp down. We don't manufacture intensity for show.\nBenefits:\nCompetitive salary and equity\nUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage\nFlexible 18 days PTO plus 5 sick days\nTravel to field test events and range days\nCovered daily lunches and office snacks and drinks\nE-bike and scooter stipend up to $500\nDirect access to leadership and real ownership over your work\nExport Control Notice:\nThis 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).\nCompensation Range: $130K - $180K","datePosted":"2026-05-04T07:58:20.966Z","dateModified":"2026-05-04T07:58:20.966Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Aurelius Systems","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Millbrae","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"3e40014c02b3f53e89a00038"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3e40014c02b3f53e89a00038"}}