Simulation Engineer III, Autonomy & Robotics

Blue Origin • Southgate, WA

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About The Position

This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design. As part of a passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible for building the simulation capabilities that enable the future of robotic space exploration. We are developing the next generation of autonomous rovers, landers, and in-space systems that will build a road to space. This role is central to our ability to develop, test, and verify the advanced AI and autonomy software that will make this vision a reality. The Simulation Engineer III will design, build, and operate high-fidelity digital environments and testbeds. You will work closely with AI/ML engineers, GNC engineers, and vehicle systems engineers to create simulations that push the boundaries of our autonomous systems, ensuring they are robust, reliable, and ready for their mission. We are looking for someone to join our team who is mission-driven, subscribes to the highest standards of quality, and is passionate about building the future of humanity in space.

Requirements

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience developing and utilizing complex, physics-based simulations for aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems.
• Demonstrated proficiency with one or more industry-standard simulation frameworks (e.g., Gazebo/Ignition, NVIDIA Isaac Sim , Unreal Engine, Chrono).
• Strong software development skills in C++ and Python.
• Hands-on experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation design and execution.
• Experience modeling rigid body dynamics and sensor modalities (e.g., cameras, IMUs, LiDAR).

Nice To Haves

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant engineering or science discipline.
• Experience developing closed-loop simulations for aviation or space vehicles (e.g., launch vehicles, spacecraft, planetary rovers, drones).
• Proven experience using simulation for synthetic data generation to train and validate perception, navigation, or other AI/ML models.
• Experience with robotics middleware such as ROS/ROS2.
• Familiarity with GPU-accelerated computing (CUDA) for simulation and rendering.
• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines for simulation environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop, integrate, and maintain high-fidelity simulation environments using frameworks such as Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim , and other industry-standard tools.
• Create and validate physics-based models of vehicle dynamics, actuator responses, and environmental interactions (e.g., lunar regolith mechanics).
• Develop accurate sensor models for cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, and other sensor modalities essential for autonomous navigation and perception.
• Design, implement, and operate Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testbeds to validate flight software and autonomy algorithms against real hardware.
• Execute large-scale, faster-than-real-time simulation campaigns for Monte Carlo analysis, performance characterization, and formal verification of autonomous systems.
• Collaborate with AI/ML teams to generate high-quality synthetic data for training and testing perception and navigation models.
• Develop tools and infrastructure for simulation automation, data analysis, and results visualization.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior