Senior Simulation Engineer

Breakthrough Talent; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Breakthrough Talent seeks a Senior Simulation Engineer in San Francisco to help test and validate warehouse robotics systems. You’ll build digital twins of customer warehouses and run simulations that stress real-world scenarios.

You’ll write automated test scenarios, analyze discrepancies between simulated and real robots, and report findings to the autonomy team while shaping future simulation tooling. This fast-moving role offers rapid deployment of your work to live environments and close

Qualifications

• Requires solid Python and robotics fundamentals (kinematics, navigation, control).
• Experience with ROS 2 and simulators (Gazebo, Unity, Isaac Sim) is important.
• C++ is useful; exposure to testing, CI pipelines, or fleet/navigation software is a plus.
• A degree in robotics, engineering or computer science is typical; strong projects count.

Responsibilities

• Build digital twins of customer warehouses and test fleets of robots against real-world scenarios.
• Write automated test scenarios that run on every software release and track discrepancies between simulated and real robots.
• Report findings to autonomy engineers and help shape the simulation platform over time.

Skills

Python

ROS 2

C++

Simulation tools

Testing pipelines

Fleet navigation

Education

Robotics/Engineering/CS degree

Tools

Gazebo

Unity

Isaac Sim

Job description

Senior Simulation Engineer / San Fran / Warehouse Robotics

The Job

We’re working with a fast-growing automation company whose robots move goods through warehouses and fulfilment centres for some of the biggest names in logistics. Before any new behaviour goes near a customer site, it gets tested in simulation first. They’re growing that team and want an engineer early in their robotics career who enjoys breaking things on purpose. It’s a practical, close-to-the-product role where you’ll see your work reach live deployments quickly.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll build digital twins of customer warehouses and use them to test fleets of robots against messy real-world scenarios, from blocked aisles and unexpected obstacles to sensor dropouts. You’ll write the automated test scenarios that run on every software release, track down why the simulated robot and the real one behave differently, and report what you find to the autonomy engineers. Over time you’ll take on more of the tooling and have a say in how the simulation platform grows.

What Skills You Need

You’ll need solid Python and an understanding of robotics fundamentals such as kinematics, navigation and basic control. Experience with ROS 2 and a simulator such as Gazebo, Unity or Isaac Sim is important, whether it comes from a first job, a research project or serious personal work. C++ is useful, and exposure to testing, CI pipelines or fleet and navigation software is a plus. A degree in robotics, engineering or computer science is typical, and strong project work counts for a lot.