Lead Software Engineer – Simulation

Axiom Space•Houston, TX

About The Position

Axiom Space is a human space exploration company, building era-defining space infrastructure and delivering technology-driven solutions that will empower civilization to transcend Earth. Beginning with Axiom Station, successor to the International Space Station, the company is pioneering a next-generation orbital settlement that will foster groundbreaking innovation and research in microgravity and drive the global space economy of tomorrow. Today, guided by the vision of leading humanity's expansion off planet, Axiom Space is the principal provider of commercial human spaceflight services and developer of advanced spacesuits for the Moon and beyond. For more information about Axiom Space, visit www.axiomspace.com. Axiom Space fosters a work environment inclusive of all perspectives. We are the pioneers of commercial space, leading the transformation of low-Earth orbit into a global space marketplace. Our mission-driven team is seeking a bold and dynamic Lead – Software Engineer, Simulation who is fueled by high accountability, execution horsepower, and driven to understand our world, science/technology, and life itself, for the benefit of all on Earth and beyond. POSITION SUMMARY Axiom Space seeks a resilient, high‑energy Lead Software Engineer to spearhead development of a high‑fidelity simulation environment for a commercial space station. This platform models complex vehicle systems and hardware behavior across multiple physical domains, supporting engineering analysis, flight software verification, and mission operator training. The role blends physics‑based modeling with large‑scale simulation platform engineering to deliver robust, scalable capabilities. The ideal candidate can architect simulation frameworks, implement models and features hands‑on, and guide technical direction. Success requires aligning multidisciplinary stakeholders while driving high‑impact simulation development in a fast-moving environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
Significant experience developing complex simulations of physical systems (real-time and faster-than-real-time)
Strong programming skills in C++ and Python
Experience ensuring determinism and repeatability in concurrent systems
Experience with simulation frameworks such as NASA Trick, NASA GUNNS, or similar
Experience modeling multi-domain vehicle systems (thermal, fluid, electrical, etc.)
Experience supporting embedded software verification or operator training via simulation
Experience with containers (Docker, Podman)
Experience with CI/CD systems (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, etc.)
Experience with GPU computing or distributed simulation
Experience with AWS or other cloud infrastructure
Experience in aerospace, robotics, defense, or other safety-critical domains
Experience with multithreaded software or high-performance computing
Experience delivering large software systems used by multiple stakeholders
Track record of making things happen in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
Uses good judgement to problem-solve proactively, positively impacting hard challenges
Demonstrated organization skills to meet tight deadlines with high quality results
Must be able to complete a U.S. government background investigation
Proof of U.S. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency is a requirement for this position
Must be willing to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet critical project milestones

Responsibilities

Lead technical direction, feature planning, and cross‑team coordination for simulation development.
Develop and maintain physics‑based models of a spacecraft across multiple domains including mechanics, thermodynamics, fluids, and electrical.
Represent system states and interactions across integrated subsystems.
Validate models against test data and engineering expectations.
Maintain and evolve real‑time and faster‑than‑real‑time simulation platforms for multiple mission use cases.
Manage deterministic single‑thread CPU environments and multi‑threaded or GPU‑accelerated execution modes.
Ensure deterministic, repeatable simulation behavior across configurations.
Define and implement external interfaces, runtime APIs, and internal simulation tooling.
Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for simulation builds, testing, and deployment.
Manage containerized development and runtime environments, including image registries and reproducible build systems.
Maintain cloud (AWS) and on‑premise compute infrastructure to support large‑scale simulation workloads.
Perform vehicle‑level analyses and trade studies using simulation outputs.
Develop Python‑based configuration, post‑processing, and visualization tools.
Mentor engineers, review designs and code, and troubleshoot complex system‑level issues.
Communicate progress, risks, and status to stakeholders while supporting agile project execution.
Perform additional job duties as assigned.