Senior Robotics Software Engineer, Controls

Who We Are: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'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.Our 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.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.The Role & Your Impact:You'll own the precision motion stack, full stop. The critical gap we're hiring for is a hands-on robotics controls engineer who can iterate fast on real hardware. Someone who can take a model, get it on the hardware, characterize what's actually happening, and tighten the loop. You think in Bode plots and step responses.This is a senior IC role on the controls side. You'll own the architecture and tuning of the precision pointing and tracking control loops, the state estimation behind them, and the closed loop integration with the tracker.What You'll Own:Architecture and tuning of the precision pointing and tracking control loopsClosed loop tracking from sensor input through actuator command at hundreds of HzState estimation across IMU, encoder, and vision based feedback (Kalman filters, complementary filters, sensor fusion)System identification and modeling of the gimbal, mount, and actuator dynamicsActuator tuning, gain scheduling, and compensation for nonlinearities (backlash, friction, saturation)Resonance characterization, notch filtering, and structural compensationSimulation infrastructure for controls developmentHardware-in-the-loop test infrastructure for controls validationField characterization of the system against real targets at the rangeAuthor controls documentation and tuning standardsWhat We're Looking For:4+ years of experience in roboticsStrong knowledge of fundamentals: classical controls, state space, LQR, MPCProven simulation experience and a track record of managing the sim-to-real gap on actual hardwareModern C++ for real time control implementationPython or MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, system ID, and analysisState estimation in practice (Kalman, EKF, UKF, complementary filters)System identification and frequency domain tuningDirect experience with motion control hardware — servo drives, brushless motors, encoders, IMUsComfortable working at the seam between mechanical, electrical, and softwareUnderstanding of latency, jitter, and how they kill control loop performanceNot a fit if: Your controls experience is purely simulation, your real world tuning amounts to changing PID gains in a UI, or you've never had to characterize a resonance, model an actuator, or fight a sensor that lies to you. We need someone who's tuned hardware that fought back.Nice-to-Haves:Advanced MPC — nonlinear MPC, robust MPC, or real-time NMPC on resource constrained hardwareGimbal, beam director, or precision pointing system experienceAerospace, defense, or directed energy controls backgroundAdaptive or robust control implementation in productionVision-in-the-loop control (visual servoing, image-based tracking)Hardware-in-the-loop simulation experienceHigh bandwidth sensor pipelines (cameras, radar, IMUs at high rate)Prior work on a system that had to hit a moving targetEducation:MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field is the sweet spot. BS with strong hands-on robotics experience or PhD with a real shipping record both welcome.How You Operate:Extreme bias for action. You'd rather tune on hardware tomorrow than model it for a monthRigorous testing mindset. You characterize your own loops before the field doesComfortable with ambiguity and fast, constantly iterating in a startup environmentYour brain only releases dopamine when you're buildingYou debug from first principlesClear communicator across mechanical, electrical, optical, and software teamsSelf-directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being toldWhy Join Aurelius Systems?Build more in 1 month than most engineers build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet.Career velocity is real. Erick Brito went from Founding Robotics Engineer to Lead in 12 months. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact, or between you and your next title.Work on a problem that actually matters. Small, cheap drones are changing warfare. Our laser systems are the asymmetric answer. Think infinite magazine, cost-per-shot near zero, scalable to every base, border, facility, truck, and piece of infrastructure.Join the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built. You'll be in the room with the people reshaping how America builds weapons.How We Work:Core hours are Monday–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.Benefits:Competitive salary + equityUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverageFlexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick daysTravel to field test events and range daysCovered daily lunches and office snacks + drinksE-bike / scooter stipend (up to $500)Direct access to leadership and real ownership over your workExport Control Notice: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).