Principal Spacecraft Simulation Software Engineer, True Anomaly

• 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
• ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
• Work Location—this role is fully onsite. Candidates must be based in or able to commute to our Denver or Long Beach office daily
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving

Desirable

• Software is the central nervous system for True Anomaly's engineering and product thesis
• Software bridges the gap between military objectives, theoretical physics, and the human and autonomous control of spacecraft and ground systems
• True Anomaly is seeking a Principal Spacecraft Simulation Software Engineer to define the long-term technical vision and architecture for a simulation platform that spans some of the hardest problems in modern aerospace — from high-fidelity multi-physics modeling of spacecraft and constellations to simulation of complex, dynamic environments that don't yet have established playbooks
• At this level, your impact extends well beyond individual features
• The platform you help shape will underpin mission planning, autonomy development, GNC validation, and operational decision-making across a range of scenarios that are technically novel by design
• You will set technical direction across the simulation organization, serve as the internal authority on simulation methodology and best practices, and drive the technical culture of the team
• 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
• Partner with mission planning, GNC, systems engineering, and autonomy teams to understand capability needs and translate them into durable, well-documented platform investments
• Drive creation of comprehensive documentation, developer guides, and reference examples that enable self-service across the organization
• Leadership & Collaboration
• Serve as a technical anchor across the simulation team; provide architectural guidance, unblock decisions, and ensure coherent execution toward shared goals
• Drive a culture of engineering excellence through rigorous code reviews, mentorship, pair programming, and knowledge transfer
• Mentor engineers at all levels; contribute directly to career development conversations and growth planning
• Partner with engineering leadership to shape simulation capability roadmaps, surface tradeoffs, and contribute to proposals and technical white papers
• Represent simulation engineering in cross-functional forums, program reviews, and customer-facing discussions

• This position will be open until it is successfully filled