Backend Senior Software Engineer, Attack and User Emulation Team (AUE)

SimSpace Corporation

1d•$160,000 - $225,000

About The Position

SimSpace serves as an AI Proving Ground where organizations can confidently train, test, and outmaneuver adversaries in any environment. Trusted by allied governments, militaries, enterprises, and research institutions worldwide, SimSpace enables adaptive, AI-ready defenses that stay ahead of evolving threats. Founded in 2015 by experts from U.S. Cyber Command and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the platform unifies training, testing, and validation in a realistic, live-fire simulation—helping teams evaluate security investments, optimize performance, and compress cyber readiness cycles from months to days. We are looking for: a Backend Senior Software Engineer, Attack and User Emulation Team (AUE), you will serve as a primary technical leader driving the evolution of our core cyber range emulation platform. In this role, you will leverage deep expertise in microservices, event-driven messaging systems, Spring Boot, and containerization to architect and scale complex, distributed emulation services. These high-impact systems enable our users to simulate real-world cyber attacks and user personas with high fidelity and realism. As a Senior Software Engineer, AUE, you will help shape the integration of AI-assisted capabilities into the platform. You will design scalable, secure patterns for coordinating AI-enabled services and workflows so that attack and user emulations can become more dynamic, autonomous, and responsive. You may evaluate and adopt emerging interoperability approaches, including Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol, as the platform evolves. Your reach extends beyond feature delivery. You will own the long-term technical vision and architecture for critical platform capabilities, drive engineering excellence across teams, and act as a multiplier by mentoring engineers and shaping team strategy. You will balance strategic architectural design with hands-on code delivery, solving complex, high-risk technical problems.

Requirements

4+ years of hands-on software development experience with a track record of architecting, building, and operating large-scale, distributed microservices in production.
2 year degree in science & technology or commensurate experience.
Deep Expertise in OOP languages such as Java or Kotlin, with proven experience in advanced API design, system integration, and event-driven architectures.
Production Expertise in container orchestration platforms (Kubernetes, Docker) and enterprise frameworks (Spring Boot).
AI & Agent Systems Integration: Experience integrating AI/LLM capabilities into production software systems, with sound judgment around service boundaries, context management, reliability, security, and observability.
Proven Track Record of leading complex, multi-system initiatives from ideation to delivery, making sound pragmatic trade-offs between speed, scalability, and technical debt.
Domain Context: Strong understanding of cybersecurity concepts, including offensive/defensive tactics, user emulation techniques, or threat landscapes.
Advanced Problem Solving: Experience identifying system bottlenecks, improving fault tolerance, and resolving complex distributed systems failures.

Nice To Haves

Experience with agentic workflows, orchestration systems, Model Context Protocol (MCP), or Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication patterns is a plus.
Experience evaluating or integrating AI or machine learning capabilities into production backend systems, particularly when model-driven behavior must be reliable, observable, and safely controlled.
Exposure to Reinforcement Learning (RL) concepts (e.g., reward functions, policy optimization, or multi-agent RL environments), particularly applied to decision-making or simulation modeling.

Responsibilities

Architect, design, and deliver highly scalable, fault-tolerant, and resilient distributed microservices for cybersecurity range simulations, setting technical standards across systems.
Design and implement platform capabilities that coordinate AI-enabled services and autonomous workflows to support intelligent emulation behaviors, reliable context exchange, and clear operational controls. You will evaluate and adopt appropriate interoperability patterns and protocols as the platform evolves.
Partner closely with Product Managers, UX Designers, and Engineering Leadership to define roadmap priorities, decompose multi-quarter initiatives into actionable technical milestones, and lead complex end-to-end execution.
Drive system reliability, performance tuning, and fault tolerance strategies. Establish and champion best practices in code quality, testing methodologies, API design, and system architecture across the team.
Mentor and coach engineers across levels, actively supporting their growth through regular design reviews, code reviews, constructive feedback, and delegation of high-impact technical initiatives.
Design and implement robust observability, telemetry, and proactive alerting frameworks to ensure high availability, fast incident resolution, and zero-downtime deployments.
Embed security, compliance, and offensive/defensive mitigation patterns directly into system design and the software development lifecycle.
Author and maintain architectural decision records (ADRs), technical spec documents, and system design patterns to align teams and build long-term organizational knowledge.

Benefits

Base salary range: $185,000 – $260,000, reflecting our confidence in your expertise and impact, with the opportunity for annual bonuses tied to company performance and individual contributions.
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, plus savings plans—coverage starts on day one!
Access to company-paid counseling, coaching, and resources for you and your family through Spring Health.
Plan for your future with a 401(k)-retirement savings plan featuring a company match.
Paid leave plans to support you and your loved ones during life’s most important moments.
Equity stock options at hire, with annual performance-based grants—become an invested stakeholder in our shared success.
Earn $1,500–$3,500 for every qualified hire through our employee referral program.
Full- and partial- subsidized membership plans and equipment discounts to help you reach your personalized wellness goals.
Access a LinkedIn Learning membership to prioritize your personal and professional development.
Monthly reimbursements for meaningful connections with teammates through our SocialSpace Community.
Legal plan coverage, pet insurance, wellness reimbursements, and more to simplify life’s details.