{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"6e60533594ae926dba67e9c9","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/6e60533594ae926dba67e9c9","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/6e60533594ae926dba67e9c9","title":"Sr. ML Engineer, Perception","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.\nThe Role and Your Impact:\nWe need a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to lead the perception stack for Archimedes — detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion across the targeting chain. You're the seasoned engineer who's shipped perception in something that had to work outside a benchmark. You'll partner directly with our CTO and the robotics software team, and own perception as a domain.\nWhat You'll Own:\nPerception architecture across detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion\nML model development, training pipelines, and on-device deployment\nMulti-sensor fusion across EO/IR and other sensors as relevant to the targeting chain\nReal-time performance optimization on embedded targets\nMentorship of perception engineers as the team grows\nDirect partnership with controls, robotics SWE, and hardware on what's actually achievable\nWhat We're Looking For:\n5+ years building and shipping perception systems on real hardware\nStrong Python and C++ with deep ML engineering experience\nComputer vision, tracking, and detection in real-time, real-world conditions\nOn-device deployment experience using TensorRT, ONNX, or equivalent\nTrack record optimizing perception for embedded compute and latency budgets\nWhere you probably come from: Perception roles at defense companies, autonomy, perception-heavy robotics, or aerospace programs that put perception in front of real targets.\nWe want to talk if: You've shipped a perception system that ran on real hardware against real targets. You know the gap between paper SOTA and what survives field conditions.\nNot a fit if: Your background is research only without deployment, you're a new grad (we'll have a junior role later), or your CV experience is offline batch processing only.\nNice to Haves:\nCounter-UAS or aerial target tracking experience\nRadar or RF perception\nClassified program experience\nSensor fusion in adversarial or denied environments\nEducation:\nBS, MS, or PhD in CS, EE, Robotics, or equivalent. Track record matters more than degree.\nHow You Operate:\nExtreme bias for action. You ship working perception on real hardware, not slideware\nYou debug from first principles, not intuition alone\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment\nClear communicator across software, hardware, and operator-facing surfaces\nSelf directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told\nWhy Join Aurelius Systems?\nBuild more in 1 month than most engineers build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet.\nCareer velocity is real. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact.\nWork on a problem that actually matters. Small cheap drones are changing warfare. Our laser systems are the asymmetric answer — infinite magazine, near zero cost per shot, scalable to every base, border, facility, and truck.\nJoin the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built.\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 + equity\nUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage\nFlexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days\nTravel to field test events and range days\nCovered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks\nE-bike / 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: $190K - $222K","company":"Aurelius Systems","rawCompany":"aurelius systems","city":"Millbrae","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-05-17T16:07:28.040Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-1299.08","title":"Computer Systems Engineers/Architects","slug":"computer-systems-engineers-architects"},{"code":"17-2072.00","title":"Electronics Engineers, Except Computer","slug":"electronics-engineers-except-computer"},{"code":"17-2199.08","title":"Robotics Engineers","slug":"robotics-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":"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"},{"code":"541511","title":"Custom Computer Programming Services","slug":"custom-computer-programming-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Sr. ML Engineer, Perception","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.\nThe Role and Your Impact:\nWe need a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to lead the perception stack for Archimedes — detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion across the targeting chain. You're the seasoned engineer who's shipped perception in something that had to work outside a benchmark. You'll partner directly with our CTO and the robotics software team, and own perception as a domain.\nWhat You'll Own:\nPerception architecture across detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion\nML model development, training pipelines, and on-device deployment\nMulti-sensor fusion across EO/IR and other sensors as relevant to the targeting chain\nReal-time performance optimization on embedded targets\nMentorship of perception engineers as the team grows\nDirect partnership with controls, robotics SWE, and hardware on what's actually achievable\nWhat We're Looking For:\n5+ years building and shipping perception systems on real hardware\nStrong Python and C++ with deep ML engineering experience\nComputer vision, tracking, and detection in real-time, real-world conditions\nOn-device deployment experience using TensorRT, ONNX, or equivalent\nTrack record optimizing perception for embedded compute and latency budgets\nWhere you probably come from: Perception roles at defense companies, autonomy, perception-heavy robotics, or aerospace programs that put perception in front of real targets.\nWe want to talk if: You've shipped a perception system that ran on real hardware against real targets. You know the gap between paper SOTA and what survives field conditions.\nNot a fit if: Your background is research only without deployment, you're a new grad (we'll have a junior role later), or your CV experience is offline batch processing only.\nNice to Haves:\nCounter-UAS or aerial target tracking experience\nRadar or RF perception\nClassified program experience\nSensor fusion in adversarial or denied environments\nEducation:\nBS, MS, or PhD in CS, EE, Robotics, or equivalent. Track record matters more than degree.\nHow You Operate:\nExtreme bias for action. You ship working perception on real hardware, not slideware\nYou debug from first principles, not intuition alone\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment\nClear communicator across software, hardware, and operator-facing surfaces\nSelf directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told\nWhy Join Aurelius Systems?\nBuild more in 1 month than most engineers build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet.\nCareer velocity is real. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact.\nWork on a problem that actually matters. Small cheap drones are changing warfare. Our laser systems are the asymmetric answer — infinite magazine, near zero cost per shot, scalable to every base, border, facility, and truck.\nJoin the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built.\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 + equity\nUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage\nFlexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days\nTravel to field test events and range days\nCovered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks\nE-bike / 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: $190K - $222K","datePosted":"2026-05-17T16:07:28.040Z","dateModified":"2026-05-17T16:07:28.040Z","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":"6e60533594ae926dba67e9c9"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/6e60533594ae926dba67e9c9"}}