Sr. ML Engineer, Perception

The Role and Your Impact:

We 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.

What You'll Own:

• Perception architecture across detection, tracking, classification, and sensor fusion
• ML model development, training pipelines, and on-device deployment
• Multi-sensor fusion across EO/IR and other sensors as relevant to the targeting chain
• Real-time performance optimization on embedded targets
• Mentorship of perception engineers as the team grows
• Direct partnership with controls, robotics SWE, and hardware on what's actually achievable

What We're Looking For:

• 5+ years building and shipping perception systems on real hardware
• Strong Python and C++ with deep ML engineering experience
• Computer vision, tracking, and detection in real-time, real-world conditions
• On-device deployment experience using TensorRT, ONNX, or equivalent
• Track record optimizing perception for embedded compute and latency budgets

Where you probably come from: Perception roles at defense companies, autonomy, perception-heavy robotics, or aerospace programs that put perception in front of 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, you're a new grad (we'll have a junior role later), or your CV experience is offline batch processing only.

Nice to Haves:

• Counter-UAS or aerial target tracking experience
• Radar or RF perception
• Classified program experience
• Sensor fusion in adversarial or denied environments

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.

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