Simulation Engineer

NODA AI•Austin, TX

48d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Simulation Engineer, you will design and implement high-fidelity simulation and test environments that enable rapid prototyping, rigorous testing, and direct translation of simulation outcomes into real-world performance of autonomous, multi-domain vehicle systems. You will develop simulation tools that support three primary objectives: powering live demonstrations, validating vehicle integrations and control microservices, and assessing decision-making performance under dynamic, uncertain conditions. This role requires balancing visual fidelity for compelling demos with computational performance for large-scale experimentation, ensuring simulations accurately model real-world physics, sensors, communications, and environmental factors.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in simulation engineering, robotics simulation, or game development.
Proficiency in simulation frameworks such as Gazebo, Unity, or Unreal.
Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++ for simulation tooling and engine integration.
Hands-on experience modeling physics, sensors (e.g., EO/IR, LiDAR, radar, sonar), and vehicle dynamics.
Familiarity with 3D rendering pipelines and real-time visualization systems.
Proven ability to balance simulation fidelity, performance, and delivery velocity.
U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ROS2/Gazebo or other robotics simulation ecosystems.
Background in Monte Carlo methods, statistical analysis, or multi-agent simulation.
Knowledge of game engines (Unity/Unreal) for real-time interactive demos.
Familiarity with 3D geospatial rendering (Cesium, CesiumJS, or similar frameworks).
Experience simulating underwater vehicles, maritime environments, or complex fluid dynamics.
Prior work in defense, aerospace, or simulation for safety-critical systems.
Understanding of hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) or software-in-the-loop (SITL) testing methodologies.
Experience with distributed simulation architectures and parallel computing frameworks.

Responsibilities

Design and implement simulation environments for multi-domain autonomous vehicles across multiple fidelity levels.
Develop simulation infrastructure to test vehicle integrations and mission plan translation logic.
Implement simulation framework to evaluate agentic AI decisions in simulated operations.
Model realistic sensor behavior (cameras, LIDAR, radar, sonar) and environmental conditions (weather, terrain, sea state).
Integrate simulation environments with autonomy stacks, mission planners, and fleet management systems.
Optimize simulation performance for parallel execution and large-scale experimentation.
Collaborate with AI, autonomy, and integration teams to ensure simulation fidelity meets validation requirements.