Senior Hardware Architect for Defense Systems

Aurelius Systems, Inc; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary + equity

Healthcare coverage

PTO + sick leave

Field test travel

Meals on site

Transit stipend

Leadership access

Job summary

Aurelius Systems, Inc is seeking a Principal Hardware Engineer to shape architectural direction and lead hardware development from prototype through field deployment. You will work with mechanical, electrical, power, embedded, and optics engineers to tackle the hardest challenges in a defense tech startup.

The role emphasizes technical leadership over people management, with strong emphasis on hands-on execution and setting high design standards.

Qualifications

• 10+ years designing and shipping complex hardware systems.
• Track record taking systems through full development cycle to deployment.
• Senior IC or technical leadership background at hardware companies that shipped.
• Deep technical judgement across at least two domains: mechanical, electrical, power, embedded.
• Experience building real systems that survive real-world conditions.

Responsibilities

• Architectural direction across the hardware stack.
• Technical decisions from concept to production readiness.
• Surface risk early and surface issues with junior engineers.
• Hands-on execution when problems require specific experience.
• Design and manufacturing trades across cost, mass, reliability, schedule and field performance.
• Cross-team judgment when hardware, controls, optics, and software collide.
• Set the technical bar for design reviews and release standards.
• Mentorship by example; engineers learn from watching you.

Skills

Hardware architecture

Systems engineering

Prototype to production

Technical leadership

Cross-disciplinary

Job description

Aurelius Systems, Inc is seeking a Principal Hardware Engineer to shape architectural direction and lead hardware development from prototype through field deployment. You will work with mechanical, electrical, power, embedded, and optics engineers to tackle the hardest challenges in a defense tech startup.

The role emphasizes technical leadership over people management, with strong emphasis on hands-on execution and setting high design standards.