Simulation Engineer

Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid on-site, with up to 10% travel)

Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance

About NODA

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. Our distributed orchestration platform enables autonomous coordination of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors.

We are building the autonomy layers that allow vehicles from multiple domains to operate in synchronized, adaptive, and resilient ways.

The Role

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.

Key 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.

Required Qualifications

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

Skills & Attributes

• Versatile builder: comfortable switching between photorealistic demos and high-speed batch simulations.

• Detail-oriented: ensures simulation accuracy reflects real-world constraints and edge cases.

• Customer-focused: understands how to craft compelling visual experiences for non-technical audiences.

• Collaborative: works closely with AI, autonomy, and sales teams to balance competing simulation requirements.

• Innovative: seeks creative solutions to scale fidelity and performance simultaneously.

What We Offer

• Hybrid work environment

• Competitive pay

• Flexible time off

• Generous PTO policy

• Federal holidays

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Free OneMedical membership

Growth Path at NODA

• Simulation Engineer – Owns one or more simulation modules or sensor domains; develops validated environments that support operational test objectives.

• Senior Simulation Engineer – Own at least one simulation product and mentor junior engineers

• Staff Simulation Engineer – Advise leadership on modeling and simulation architecture and roadmap

• Principal Simulation Engineer – Define long-term roadmap for modeling and simulation, establishing company-wide standards for infrastructure

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.