Aurelius Systems

Robotics Software Engineer

Posted 9 Days Ago

San Francisco, CA

In-Office

130K-170K Annually

Mid level

Hardware • Energy • Defense • Automation

The Role

As a Robotics Software Engineer, you will lead system integration, develop hardware-adjacent software, and collaborate with experts in various technical fields to build innovative solutions for drone defense systems.

Summary Generated by Built In

Citizens and permanent residents only - we do not sponsor and cannot hire non-citizens or PRs.We work 6 days a week in the office in downtown San Francisco with one Saturday off per month, no remote available.

What is Aurelius Systems?

Aurelius Systems is a directed energy company developing edge-deployed laser systems for cUAS applications

We shoot down drones with laser guns

Why?

The US and our allies have prepared for a world where we will be fighting increasingly large and sophisticated systems (Planes, Aircraft carriers, etc), but this world never came. The future of warfare will involve large numbers of small-scale and mass-manufacturable drones, and we aren’t prepared to defend our country from these threats abroad or domestically. Aurelius Systems has set out to address this problem by equipping the US and our allies with the systems they need to fight current and future conflicts in a scalable and cost-effective manner.

Job Description

We are seeking a skilled Robotics Software Engineer to lead innovation and system integration as a member of our software team. This generalist role demands adaptability, self-direction, and a hunger to learn across a diverse range of fields. You will be responsible for everything from efficiently integrating and orchestrating the wide networks of systems, to developing novel, bespoke sensing implementations, to building test cases on the fly as you assist controls experts. It is up to you to ensure the wide array sub-systems developed by the team come together and operate as an effective drone-killing unit.

Key Responsibilities

System Orchestration: Ensure all of the sub-systems across the entire stack are properly utilized. Effective sub-system integration and orchestration.
Sub-System Development: Work with subject experts to create novel functionality in the domains of Machine Sensing, Computer Vision, Deep-Learning, Hardware Integration, Controls, SysID, etc
Validation and Testing: Develop CI/CD pipelines and automated testing techniques to facilitate safe acceleration of technical development. HiTL test procedures.
Diagnostics & Monitoring: Develop dashboards and telemetry for drift analysis, hardware health monitoring, performance metrics, and automated retraining triggers.
Documentation & Mentorship: Author clear technical docs; mentor junior engineers on best practices in vision, sensor‑fusion, and embedded firmware engineering.
Qualitative Goal Determination: Determines development needs by directly analysing technical and physical limitations of our goals.

Qualifications

Hyper Engineer - your brain only releases dopamine when you're building
Experience: 3–6 years in hardware adjacent software / robotics engineering roles
Technical Skills:
- Proficient in C++ and Python
- MUST have worked with actual hardware / robotics systems
- Hands‑on with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) and real‑time inference engines (TensorRT, OpenVINO)
- Familiarity with Docker, and CI/CD for ML pipelines
Education: BS/MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or related field (PhD a plus).
Soft Skills: Strong problem‑solving, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration ability.

Nice‑to‑Haves

Edge‑AI optimization (quantization, pruning)
Experience with FPGA or embedded GPU platforms
Experience with multi‑sensor calibration and data synchronization
Background in defense or safety‑critical systems
Familiarity with cybersecurity guidelines and secure coding practices

Why Join Aurelius Systems?

Drive innovation in cutting-edge directed energy defense technology.
Contribute directly to national security with robust and scalable hardware solutions.
Build more in 12 months than most engineers do in 5 years—we field test monthly on our own 400+ acre range, executing against a $151B MDA SHIELD IDIQ contract.
Grow fast: engineers here typically get promoted 1-2x per year. Erick Brito went from Founding Robotics Engineer to Lead in 12 months.
Work alongside a founding team from to build what directed energy should have been.

We work 6 days (yes, we'll relocate you) a week because that's what it takes to ship real hardware to real operators. If you want balance, we respect that. If you want to build—keep reading.

Please submit your resume and a brief summary of your most impactful project involving relevant work to [email protected]

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $130,000 – $170,000 per year.