Test Engineer - Embedded Systems & R&D
Who We Are:
Aurelius Systems is a VC-backed defense tech startup building autonomous, edge-deployed robotics systems using directed energy for counter-UAS.
We build laser weapons to shoot down drones.
We're a small team of ~10 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/office, we opened our Detroit manufacturing hub and we field test weekly on our own 400-acre private range.
If you are the kind of engineer who'd rather see your work on a range than in a lab, read on.
The Role & Your Impact:
You're the person who finds out if the thing actually works, at every layer of the stack.
We're transitioning from prototype to product on an electromechanical directed energy system. The test infrastructure you build now becomes the foundation for everything we ship. You're not inheriting a test bench. You're designing it. You're not running someone else's HIL setup. You're building it from scratch and making sure it actually reflects what happens downrange.
You'll own verification and validation across embedded firmware, power electronics, electromechanical assemblies, and full-system integration.
Every field test, every demo… you're the reason we show up with something that works.
What You'll Own:
Design and build HIL and SIL test environments for embedded controllers, actuators, sensors, and power systems
Execute system-level performance, reliability, and safety testing across hardware and firmware simultaneously
Develop test plans, acceptance criteria, and readiness gates as we move from prototype to production
Write automated test procedures in Python. You're scripting your own regression suites, not waiting on someone else to build tooling
Lead field testing end to end: setup, operation, data collection, teardown, post-test analysis, and failure writeups
Debug across the full stack (firmware timing, power rails, mechanical tolerance, or all three)
Work directly with embedded, electrical, and mechanical engineers to reproduce bugs, validate fixes, and prevent regressions
Enforce safety procedures in high-power, high-voltage testing environments
Build and maintain test fixtures, harnesses, and instrumentation setups that survive real-world use
What We're Looking For:
Hands-on experience building and running HIL or SIL test environments
Strong embedded systems background from firmware validation, real-time systems, C/C++ to strong familiarity debugging embedded code
Electromechanical system testing experience from motors, actuators, power electronics, to software all working together
Performance, reliability, and safety testing as a combined skill set. You know how to stress a system, log what breaks, and define pass/fail criteria that actually matter
Python or scripting for test automation. You build your own tools
Strong debugging instincts across hardware, firmware, and software
Clear written communication around failures and root cause. Your test reports tell a story, not just a data dump
Where you probably come from: Aerospace or defense primes transitioning to startups, robotics companies with real electromechanical products, embedded systems validation in safety-critical or mission-critical contexts, or a DoD lab or military maintenance background where you kept complex systems operational in the field.
Not a fit if: You've only tested software systems, your HIL experience is watching someone else's demo, you've never debugged a hardware failure, or your test experience lives entirely in Jira.
Nice-to-Haves:
MIL-STD, DO-178, or other safety-critical testing standards exposure (even if informal)
Environmental, vibration, thermal, or shock testing experience
High-voltage or high-power test environment experience
Familiarity with ITAR-controlled systems or working in cleared environments
Education:
BS in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Aerospace, or equivalent. Equivalent hands-on experience also considered.
What you've built matters more than where you went to school.
How You Operate:
Extreme bias for action. You'd rather build a prototype tomorrow than model it for a month
Rigorous testing mindset. You characterize your own systems before the field does
Comfortable with ambiguity and fast, constantly iterating in a startup environment
Your brain only releases dopamine when you're building
You debug from first principles, not Stack Overflow
Clear communicator across mechanical, electrical, optical, and software teams
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. 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 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. We go hard when the mission demands it, and we recover when it doesn't. If you've worked at SpaceX, against a mission-critical timeline, or on a racing team, you already know the rhythm.
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).