Perception Engineer
San Francisco, CA · On-site
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · Hybrid
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
San Francisco, CA · Hybrid
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
Detroit, MI · On-site
$100K - $120K/yr
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
Quick apply
Detroit, MI · On-site
$100K - $120K/yr
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
Fremont, CA · On-site
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
Fremont, CA · On-site
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$275K - $315K/yr
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 ...
Quick apply
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$275K - $315K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$190K - $222K/yr
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 ...
Quick apply
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$190K - $222K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$132K - $156K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$132K - $156K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$132K - $156K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$132K - $156K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$144K - $190K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$144K - $190K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$152K - $196K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$152K - $196K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$235K - $300K/yr
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 ...
Quick apply
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$235K - $300K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$70 - $110/hr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$70 - $110/hr
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 ...
Hayward, CA · On-site
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
Hayward, CA · On-site
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$135K - $190K/yr
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 ...
Quick apply
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$135K - $190K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$90K - $120K/yr
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 ...
Quick apply
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$90K - $120K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$275K - $315K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$275K - $315K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $200K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$150K - $200K/yr
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 ...
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$100K - $120K/yr
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...
Quick apply
San Francisco, CA · On-site
$100K - $120K/yr
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup developing autonomous, edge-deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We make laser systems to shot down drones. Our small team includes ...

Full-time
Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO
Re-posted 4 days ago
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 are seeking a skilled Perception Engineer to join our software team and work on endtoend perception and sensorfusion stack. You will develop, train, and deploy vision and sensor based models; manage data pipelines; and enable realtime detection and tracking for our laserbased defense system. This role bridges data science, software engineering, and robotics to deliver reliable, highthroughput perception performance on edge hardware.
What You'll Own:
Design, train, validate and fine-tune machinelearning and deeplearning models (e.g., YOLO, RT-DETR, CNNs) for object detection, classification, and segmentation.
Integrate and fuse data from multimodal sensors (RGB, thermal, LiDAR/ToF, IMU, encoders) to produce robust, realtime Regions of Interest (ROIs).
Research, implement, and as-needed develop high and low-level image-processing techniques, such as deconvolution, low SNR detection, and motion-isolation techniques.
Collaborate with hardware teams to integrate and troubleshoot sensors (globalshutter and rollingshutter cameras, thermal imagers, LiDAR/ToF modules, IMUs) over GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, CAN, SPI, and IC protocols; develop and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ (or Rust) for microcontrollers (STM32, NXP, TI) and FPGAs using VHDL/Verilog within RTOS environments (FreeRTOS, Zephyr).
Build scalable data ingestion, labeling, augmentation, and storage pipelines (simulated and field data) ensuring 100k+ labeled frames accuracy.
Optimize inference frameworks for edge deployment (GPU/FPGA), achieving 500 Hz endtoend throughput.
Develop dashboards and telemetry for drift analysis, hardware health monitoring, performance metrics, and automated retraining triggers.
Author clear technical docs; mentor junior engineers on best practices in vision, sensorfusion, and embedded firmware engineering.
Determines development needs by directly analyzing technical and physical limitations of our goals.
What We're Looking For:
2-6+ years in computer vision, sensor fusion, or robotics perception roles
Strong C++ with deep ML engineering experience
Handson with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) and realtime inference engines (TensorRT, OpenVINO)
Computer vision, tracking, and detection in real-time, real-world conditions
Familiarity with ROS2, Docker, and CI/CD for ML pipelines
Experience with multisensor calibration and data synchronization
Where you probably come from:Perception roles at defense companies, autonomous vehicle programs, robotics platforms, or aerospace programs that deploy perception against real targets.
We 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.
Not a fit if: Your background is research only without deployment, or your CV experience is offline batch processing only.
Nice to Haves:
EdgeAI optimization (quantization, pruning)
Experience with FPGA or embedded GPU platforms
Background in defense or safetycritical systems
Familiarity with cybersecurity guidelines and secure coding practices
Education:
BS, MS, or PhD in CS, EE, Robotics, or equivalent. Track record matters more than degree.
How You Operate:
Extreme bias for action. You ship working perception on real hardware, not slideware
You debug from first principles, not intuition alone
Comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment
Clear communicator across software, hardware, and operator-facing surfaces
Self directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told
Why 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. 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 + equity
United Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage
Flexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days
Travel to field test events and range days
Covered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks
E-bike / scooter stipend ( Up to $500)
Direct access to leadership and real ownership over your work
Export 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).