Senior Defense Simulation Architect | C++/Python

Code Metal; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care plan with 100% premium

401k with 5% matching

Paid time off (vacation, sick, HOL)

Flexible hybrid or remote work

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Code Metal is redefining code translation for defense, delivering multi-domain simulations and mission-level modeling for DoD decisions. You will build production C++ and Python simulations, extend frameworks, and ensure reproducibility across cloud, on-prem, and workstation environments.

You will work with government users and cross-disciplinary teams to translate concepts into robust software models, maintaining code quality and verifiable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of professional software-development experience building simulation, autonomy, robotics, game-engine, digital-twin, or similarly complex systems.
• Strong production experience in modern C++, with Python for tooling, orchestration, analysis, or automation.
• Hands-on experience developing or extending a simulation framework—not only configuring tools or analyzing output.
• Experience with event-driven, discrete-event, agent-based, constructive, or distributed simulation architectures.
• Ability to translate complex real-world entities into clear software abstractions.
• Experience building plugins, SDKs, reusable interfaces, or similar extension mechanisms.
• Knowledge of software architecture, data structures, algorithms, APIs, testing, debugging, and performance.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement mission- and campaign-level simulation capabilities in modern C++ and Python.
• Build and extend event-driven, discrete-event, agent-based, and constructive simulation frameworks.
• Own core framework functionality including event scheduling, simulation time, state transitions, platform abstractions, scenario execution, data collection, and deterministic replay.
• Develop models for platforms, sensors, weapons, communications, EW, jamming, C2, logistics, and environmental effects.
• Extend AFSIM and similar environments through C++ plugins, framework services, SDK integrations, new platform types, and reusable interfaces.
• Translate operational concepts into maintainable software models with clear assumptions and testable behavior.
• Modernize legacy tools and integrate them into a coherent simulation architecture.
• Build scenario-generation, Monte Carlo, sensitivity-analysis, campaign-execution, and evaluation workflows.
• Scale simulations across workstations, on-prem, and cloud while preserving reproducibility and provenance.
• Connect simulations with hardware-in-the-loop or human-in-the-loop environments where appropriate.
• Establish verification/validation practices, regression suites, and quantitative model credibility.
• Collaborate with government and DoD stakeholders to deliver usable capabilities quickly.
• Lead design reviews, mentor teammates, and improve architecture, testing, and release practices.

Skills

5+ years software development

Modern C++

Python tooling

Simulation frameworks

Event-driven architectures

Software architecture

Plugins/SDKs

Modeling complex systems

Testing/verification

Requirements to implementation

Documentation/communication

Security clearance eligible

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in CS/Engineering/Math/Physics

Tools

AFSIM

Job description

Code Metal is redefining code translation for defense, delivering multi-domain simulations and mission-level modeling for DoD decisions. You will build production C++ and Python simulations, extend frameworks, and ensure reproducibility across cloud, on-prem, and workstation environments.

You will work with government users and cross-disciplinary teams to translate concepts into robust software models, maintaining code quality and verifiable outcomes.