Hardware Technician

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 and Your Impact:We need a Hardware Technician who can fabricate, machine, weld, and assemble parts that go from prototype to deployed system. You'll work hands on across the build, supporting engineers as well as field demonstrations as we scale Archimedes from prototype toward production.What You'll Own:Fabrication and machining of mechanical parts using mill, lathe, and CNC equipmentSupporting field demonstrations for the warfighterWelding and metal fabrication, including TIG and MIG, for structural and subsystem assemblies3D printing across processes including FDM, SLA, and SLS, plus post-processingAssembly and integration of subsystems including basic electrical wiring and harness workInspection with calipers, micrometers, and gauges, and flagging tolerance drift before it becomes a problemGiving engineers real shop floor feedback that improves the next revisionWhat We're Looking For:Hands on fabrication and machining experience, mill and lathe at minimumTIG or MIG welding experience on real assemblies, not just couponsComfortable reading mechanical drawings and GD&TComfortable with multiple 3D printing processes and post-processingSolid attention to dimensional accuracy and finish qualityWhere you probably come from: Aerospace or defense fab shops, military fabrication trades, motorsports build shops, hardware startups doing real metal work.We want to talk if: You've personally built things that fly, drive, or shoot. You can read a drawing, pick up a tool, and not break the part.Not a fit if: Your experience is design only, you've never owned a part from raw stock to finished, or you've only run CNC programs someone else wrote.Nice to Haves:Composites layup experienceSheet metal forming and brake workWire harness fabricationPrecision optical or laser system assembly experienceEducation:No degree required. Trade school, military training, or self-taught all welcome. What you've built matters more than where you went to school.How You Operate:Extreme bias for action. You'd rather build the part tomorrow than wait for the perfect drawingYou catch your own mistakes before they leave your benchComfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environmentClear communicator across mechanical, electrical, and engineering 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 technicians build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet.Career velocity is real. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact.Work 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.Join the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built.How We Work:Core 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.Benefits:Competitive salary and equityUnited Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverageFlexible 18 days PTO plus 5 sick daysTravel to field test events and range daysCovered daily lunches and office snacks and drinksE-bike and scooter stipend up to $500Direct 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).