Solutions Architect - Modeling & Simulation (Defense)

applied; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

401k retirement benefits with employer match

Paid time off

Job summary

Applied Intuition, based in Sunnyvale, California, is looking for a Solutions Architect to bridge engineering and customer needs. The role focuses on crafting technical narratives, leading customer engagements, and ensuring alignment between technical solutions and customer missions.

Ideal candidates will have deep expertise in DoD environments, 5+ years in technical roles, and the ability to translate complex concepts for varied stakeholders. Compensation includes base salary and equity options.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, systems engineering, or software architecture.
• Deep understanding of DoD technical environments, including classification levels.
• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design bespoke solution architectures for specific DoD pursuits.
• Translate software capabilities into mission-relevant narratives.
• Lead technical customer engagements and architecture reviews.

Skills

Technical pre-sales

Systems engineering

Software architecture

DoD environments

AI/ML

Edge computing

Education

BS or MS in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.

About the role

The Solutions Architect serves as the technical bridge between our engineering organization and our customers. Sitting within the Growth team, you will be the primary technical voice for our business development operations. Your mission: make the team technically impressive, ensuring every customer conversation, white paper, and proposal is grounded in a credible, differentiated technical narrative that maps Applied Intuition’s capabilities to the customer’s mission.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Design bespoke solution architectures, integration concepts, and Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for specific DoD pursuits.
• Translate complex software capabilities into mission-relevant narratives for government engineers, SETAs, and technical evaluation teams.
• Act as the technical engine for the BD team, providing the substance for white papers, capability briefs, and RFI/RFP technical volumes.
• Lead technical customer engagements, including deep-dive architecture reviews and product demonstrations.
• Serve as the primary liaison between Growth and Engineering/Product teams to ensure capture strategies align with our roadmap.
• Conduct competitive technical analysis to identify architectural strengths and weaknesses versus industry incumbents.
• Convert customer requirements and operational constraints into actionable technical feedback for our product development cycles.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, systems engineering, or software architecture.
• Deep understanding of DoD technical environments, including classification levels (NIPR/SIPR/JWICS) and accreditation processes (ATO/IATT).
• Technical breadth across software architecture, data infrastructure, AI/ML, and edge computing.
• Proven ability to translate complex engineering concepts for non-technical Program Managers and senior stakeholders.
• Experience with systems integration and networking within operational military environments.
• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Travel Requirements:

• Must be willing to travel as projects requires; average travel varies, but can be up to once a month for up to 1 week (~25%)

Security Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Nice to have:

• Experience with modeling and simulation (M&S) frameworks or autonomous vehicle stacks.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps pipelines and containerization (Kubernetes, Docker) in secure environments.
• Previous experience supporting a high-growth defense tech startup or a major defense prime.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in Washington, D.C. is: $200,000 - 250,000 + bonus.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.