Operations Specialist

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 need a Logistics & Operations Specialist to own the physical movement of everything in and out of our San Francisco lab and keep the build floor running. You'll be the operational point person on the floor, working directly with our Head of Ops to keep the build environment running. You're the person who makes sure builds don't get blocked by a missing pallet, a late shipment, or a vendor no-show. This is the hardware and logistics side of the house. Executive support and internal systems are owned by our Business Operations Associate, so you don't need admin or EA experience. This role has a clear growth path to Warehouse / Logistics Manager as Detroit and the range scale up.

The role also supports field operations at our range, in NorthCal, where the team heads every week or two as supporting engineering, company development, and operations are core responsibilities of this role.

What You'll Own:

• Shipping and receiving, including inbound and outbound movement of hardware and equipment, coordinated with the build team
• Inventory of components, consumables, PPE, safety supplies, and general stock
• ITAR-aware shipping, receiving, and documentation for export-controlled hardware
• Vendor coordination, supplies, repairs, and build-out support
• Visitor and customer logistics for site visits and demos in the SF lab
• Field support at the range, including gear, logistics, and setup for test events
• Office and lab facilities, plus event and offsite logistics for SF-based team events

We're Looking For:

• 3-5 years in warehouse, logistics, procurement, supply chain, shipping/receiving, or military supply / S-4 roles
• Strong organizational skills, comfortable juggling multiple vendors, shipments, and timelines at once
• Comfortable on a hardware floor, including lifting boxes and managing pallets
• Ability to carry, lift, or move 50 lbs in and around the warehouse and at the range as needed
• Trustworthy, proactive, low-ego, bias to action
• Comfortable with ambiguity in an early-stage company still figuring out its processes

Where you probably come from: Warehouse, logistics, or procurement at a hardware or manufacturing startup, military supply and logistics trades where you kept the unit stocked and moving, or shipping and receiving at a company that builds physical product.

We want to talk if: You're proactive, you don't wait to be asked, and "not my job" isn't in your vocabulary. You're comfortable managing a pallet and a vendor email thread the same day, and you want to grow into running the whole logistics function.

Not a fit if: You're looking for an admin or scheduling role (that's our Business Operations Associate), you've never seen a pallet, or you need a written process for everything before you'll act.

Nice to Haves:

• Veteran with military supply, logistics, or S-4 background
• ITAR-aware shipping and receiving experience
• Experience with ERP, MRP, or warehouse management systems (Sortly, Snipe-IT, Yardi, or similar)
• Notary or basic facilities certifications
• Experience supporting events or company offsites

Education: No degree required. Proof matters here.

How You Operate:

• Extreme bias for action. You'd rather solve it now than schedule a meeting
• You handle problems before they hit anyone's inbox
• Comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration
• Clear communicator across the team, vendors, and visitors
• 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:

We work Monday through Friday, 9 to 6, most Saturdays, and some evenings, although not constant. Supporting engineering, development, and operations are core responsibilities of the role. We don't manufacture intensity for show, the pace is real because the work is real.

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).