Senior / Principal Engineer (Modeling & Simulation)

Code Metal; Boston (MA); On-site; 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 mission-critical industries, helping defense partners move more quickly and reliably from algorithm to silicon. Our platform accelerates deployment of DSP, RF, communications, and embedded signal processing algorithms onto heterogeneous compute targets, including GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, and edge SoCs. We also support automotive, aerospace, and semiconductor partners deploying complex algorithms onto constrained hardware with speed and rigor.

About the Role:

Help redefine how the DoD makes multi-billion-dollar force-design decisions. In this role, you’ll turn operational questions into extensible mission- and campaign-level simulations for our next-generation wargaming platforms. You’ll develop simulation frameworks, platform and effects models, scenario infrastructure, and evaluation workflows that allow defense users to explore force-design choices before making consequential real-world decisions. This is a deeply hands-on software-engineering role: you’ll spend most of your time designing, writing, reviewing, and shipping production C++ and Python. We’re seeking an experienced engineer who can own important parts of a cloud-distributed simulation environment, work directly with government users, and lead through technical execution.

What You’ll Do:

• 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, electronic warfare, jamming, command and control, logistics, and environmental effects.
• Extend AFSIM and comparable simulation environments through C++ plugins, framework services, SDK integrations, new platform types, and reusable model interfaces.
• Translate operational concepts, system specifications, and subject-matter expertise into maintainable software models with explicit assumptions and testable behavior.
• Modernize legacy campaign and mission-analysis tools and integrate them into a coherent simulation architecture.
• Build scenario-generation, Monte Carlo, sensitivity-analysis, campaign-execution, and evaluation workflows.
• Scale simulations across developer workstations, on-premises infrastructure, and cloud compute while preserving reproducibility and model provenance.
• Connect constructive simulations with distributed, operational, hardware-in-the-loop, or human-in-the-loop environments where appropriate.
• Establish verification and validation practices, reference scenarios, regression suites, and quantitative measures of model credibility.
• Work directly with government, Air Force, and broader DoD stakeholders to understand acquisition questions and deliver usable capabilities quickly.
• Collaborate with physics, backend, geospatial, AI, and product teams to integrate the simulation kernel into a larger interactive platform.
• Lead design and code reviews, mentor teammates, and improve architecture, documentation, testing, and release practices.

Why Code Metal?

• Mission with impact: Build the models used to evaluate systems, explore operational concepts, and inform major force-design and acquisition decisions.
• Multidisciplinary engineering: Work across simulation, physics, software architecture, AI, geospatial systems, and defense operations.
• Velocity: Prototype quickly, iterate with users, and deliver meaningful capability in weeks rather than years.
• Ownership: Senior engineers own important systems from initial design through deployment and customer use.

What We’re Looking For:

Required 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 proficiency in Python for tooling, orchestration, analysis, or automation.
• Hands-on experience developing or extending a simulation framework—not only configuring simulation tools or analyzing their output.
• Experience with event-driven, discrete-event, agent-based, constructive, or distributed simulation architectures.
• Demonstrated ability to represent complex real-world entities, interactions, rules, and edge cases as clear software abstractions.
• Experience building plugins, SDKs, reusable model interfaces, framework services, platform types, or similar extension mechanisms.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, data structures, algorithms, APIs, testing, debugging, and performance engineering.
• Experience making substantial changes within a large existing codebase while maintaining ongoing delivery.
• Experience with model verification, validation, calibration, or regression testing.
• Ability to turn ambiguous operational or technical requirements into executable engineering plans.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document model assumptions, limitations, interfaces, and intended use.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, operations research, physics, or a related discipline.
• Active Secret clearance or eligibility to obtain one.

Strongly Preferred:

• Direct experience developing AFSIM plugins, framework extensions, event infrastructure, or custom platform types.
• Experience supporting Air Force, Space Force, joint, or broader DoD acquisition and mission-analysis programs.
• Experience developing models for sensors, weapons, electronic warfare, jamming, communications, logistics, or command and control.
• Experience translating or modernizing a large legacy modeling or campaign-analysis system into C++.
• Experience designing a simulation framework, event stack, plugin architecture, or campaign system from the ground up.
• Familiarity with HLA, DIS, OneSAF, JSAF, NGTS, STK, or other constructive and distributed simulation environments.
• Experience spanning both operational and constructive simulation.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.

Benefits

• Pay depends on experience, but we strive to be at the upper end of the salary range
• Health care plan with 100% premium coverage, including medical, dental, and vision
• 401k with 5% matching
• Paid Time Off (uncapped vacation, plus sick and public holidays)
• Flexible hybrid or remote work arrangement
• Relocation assistance for qualifying employees

Wage Transparency – The salary range for this role is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as the final offer amount may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, individual proficiency, skills, experience, and location.

We are an equal opportunity employer. US Citizenship may be required for certain project assignments involving security clearance.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.