Principal Software Engineer, Spacecraft Simulation at Trueanomalyinc · LumiJobs

Responsibilities

Technical Vision & Architecture
Own the long-term technical strategy and architectural roadmap for True Anomaly's simulation infrastructure, spanning multi-physics modeling, real-time, faster-than-real-time execution, and hardware/software-in-the-loop environments
Make high-consequence architectural decisions — technology selection, inter-system interface design, performance targets, and long-term maintainability tradeoffs — with full awareness of downstream impact across engineering, GNC, mission planning, and operations
Identify and resolve fundamental technical risks before they become program-level blockers; anticipate capability gaps 12–24 months out and drive proactive investment
Establish and steward engineering standards, simulation best practices, and V&V frameworks adopted across the organization
Simulation Development
Lead the design and implementation of production-quality multi-physics simulation software spanning spacecraft subsystems: 6DOF rigid body dynamics (gravity gradient, solar radiation pressure, atmospheric drag, magnetic torques, third-body effects), thermal modeling, attitude dynamics and control, propulsion (chemical/electric), power generation and storage, and high-fidelity sensor/actuator models (reaction wheels, CMGs, star trackers, gyros, magnetometers)
Architect and implement tightly coupled physics algorithms capturing complex subsystem interactions (thermal-structural, power-thermal, propulsion-dynamics) with rigorous attention to numerical stability, accuracy, and performance
Design advanced time-stepping algorithms, solver architectures, and integration schemes that support scalable, real-time, and batch simulation use cases
Write production-quality C++ with emphasis on performance, correctness, maintainability, and testability; establish the quality bar others rise to meet
API Design & Integration
Define the simulation platform's external-facing API strategy across C++ and Python, ensuring interfaces are intuitive, performant, versioned, and backward-compatible as the platform evolves

Qualification

EducationExperienceC++PythonTechnical leadershipDomain knowledgeV&VSystems thinkingCommunicationHypersonic modelingAdvanced physics-based M&SNumerical methods

Required

Education: Bachelor's in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, physics, applied mathematics, or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred
Experience: 10+ years of professional software development with deep focus on simulation, scientific computing, or aerospace applications; demonstrated progression into technical leadership roles
C++: Expert-level proficiency in modern C++ (C++17 or newer), including STL, templates, performance optimization, and large-scale system design
Python: Proficiency in API design, scripting, automation, and data analysis
Technical leadership: Proven track record of setting technical direction for large, complex software systems and driving multi-team efforts to delivered capability
Domain knowledge: Deep expertise in two or more of: ADCS, GNC, thermal control, electric power systems, chemical/electric propulsion, orbital mechanics, or HIL/SIL systems
V&V: Demonstrated experience defining and executing verification and validation frameworks for physics-based models at scale, including uncertainty quantification and validation against test or flight data
Systems thinking: Ability to make sound architectural decisions within complex, distributed systems
Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication; able to articulate complex technical concepts to both engineering peers and non-technical leadership stakeholders

Preferred

Hypersonic modeling: Experience developing high-fidelity aerothermal, aerodynamic, and flight dynamics models for hypersonic vehicles, including coupled aero-thermal-structural effects, shock layer physics, and boundary layer modeling
Advanced physics-based M&S: Extensive experience delivering validated, production-grade simulation capabilities for aerospace or defense programs at scale
Numerical methods: Expert-level knowledge of ODE/DAE solvers, numerical linear algebra, sparse matrix techniques, and automatic differentiation; experience tuning solvers for stiff, multi-rate, or real-time-constrained problems
Astrodynamics & kinematics: Deep familiarity with the core concepts of space domain dynamics modeling
Software engineering excellence: Expert proficiency with Git, CI/CD, CMake or Bazel, and testing frameworks; experience establishing engineering standards at the team or org level
Scalable simulation infrastructure: Experience with parallel/distributed computing, Docker, and cloud platforms for large-scale simulation execution
HIL/SIL systems: Extensive experience designing and operating HIL/SIL environments, including real-time simulation interfaces to flight software or embedded hardware
Technical thought leadership: Published work, conference presentations (AIAA, AAS, IEEE, etc.), or patents in simulation, astrodynamics, GNC, or related domains

Principal Software Engineer, Spacecraft Simulation

Responsibilities

Qualification

Required

Preferred

Benefits

Company

Trueanomalyinc

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