Staff Engineer: Real-Time Modelling & Simulation

Shieldai; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in Australia is seeking a Staff Engineer in Modelling and Simulation to lead development, integration, and operationalisation of high‑fidelity, real‑time simulation environments that support Hivemind Mission Autonomy programs in Australia.

You will architect, implement, and maintain simulation ecosystems used by autonomy, perception, and systems engineering teams for design, testing, and demonstrations.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• Extensive professional experience in software engineering and systems integration.
• Strong experience with modern C++ and familiarity with legacy C++ standards.
• Professional experience with Python.
• Demonstrated success delivering reliable software in fast-paced engineering environments.
• Experience leading teams delivering complex engineering or software projects.
• Hands-on experience with real-time, distributed simulation systems or HWIL/SWIL environments.
• Experience with Docker or similar containerisation technologies.
• Proficiency working in Linux development environments.
• Strong problem-solving capability and ability to work through complex technical challenges.
• Strong history of collaboration, accountability, and being an effective teammate.
• Ability to obtain an Australian NV1 security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and evolution of distributed, real-time simulation systems across virtual, constructive, and live environments.
• Architect and implement high-performance C++ software for modelling, simulation, integration workflows, and system interoperability.
• Develop and optimise real-time and distributed simulation software supporting multi-agent scenarios and high-fidelity environments.
• Integrate defence simulation frameworks such as AFSIM or NGTS to accelerate delivery.
• Design and deliver containerised simulation deployments using Docker and Kubernetes for development, CI, testing, and operations.
• Provide technical and project leadership to engineering teams of 5+ contributors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to connect simulation with autonomy, hardware interfaces, and test pipelines.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement in CI/CD, testing, architecture, and tooling.
• Support key customer programs by delivering robust, scalable simulation environments.

Skills

C++

Python

Linux development

Real-time simulation

Distributed systems

CI/CD

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Tertiary qualification in Computer Science/Software Engineering/Mechatronics

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AFSIM

NGTS

Job description

Shield AI in Australia is seeking a Staff Engineer in Modelling and Simulation to lead development, integration, and operationalisation of high‑fidelity, real‑time simulation environments that support Hivemind Mission Autonomy programs in Australia.

You will architect, implement, and maintain simulation ecosystems used by autonomy, perception, and systems engineering teams for design, testing, and demonstrations.