Staff Simulation Engineer - Core Simulation Platform

Apptronik; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital Factory is seeking a Staff Simulation Engineer to develop a core simulation platform critical for robotics applications. You will use your expertise in C++ and Python to build robust digital twins and improve robot performance.

The ideal candidate has a Master’s or PhD in a relevant field, with over 8 years of experience in robotic simulation. You'll work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams and have the opportunity to tackle complex challenges in AI and robotics.

The role is based in Sunnyvale, California, and offers a direct hire opportunity.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in robotic simulation, software engineering, or related fields.
• Understanding of CI/CD, automated testing, and code quality standards.
• Experience with large-scale training workloads on cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the architecture and development of the core simulation platform.
• Help build and scale cloud-native simulation pipelines.
• Work with Controls, AI Research, and Perception teams to support evolving simulation needs.

Skills

C++ programming

Python programming

Robotics concepts

Modern robotic simulators

Reinforcement Learning

Cloud platforms

Distributed computing frameworks

Education

Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

AWS

GCP

Azure

Ray

Kubernetes

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of embodied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

JOB SUMMARY

At the core of every robot policy we ship is a simulation platform that has to be fast enough for RL training, accurate enough for controls validation, and stable enough to be the team’s daily driver. As Staff Simulation Engineer for Core Simulation Platform, you’ll contribute to the architecture and development of that platform alongside senior team members, applying strong C++ and Python skills, robotics fundamentals, and modern simulator experience to keep the platform robust, performant, and parallel.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to the architecture and development of the core simulation platform — high-performance digital twins that serve as the foundation for policy training, controls validation, and CI/CD integration testing.
• Help build and scale cloud-native simulation pipelines capable of generating millions of experience hours per day, parallelizing physics and rendering for rapid policy iteration.
• Improve sim-to-real transfer through advanced contact models and actuator dynamics that help policies trained in simulation transfer to physical humanoid hardware.
• Develop sensor-realistic environments (camera, LiDAR, depth) that challenge the perception stack with dynamic and diverse worlds.
• Ship platform improvements that visibly reduce iteration time for RL, controls, and perception teams.
• Work with Controls, AI Research, and Perception teams to support their evolving simulation needs as the platform grows.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent C++ and/or Python programming skills
• Familiar with software development best practices: CI/CD, automated testing, and code quality standards
• Understanding of robotics concepts: kinematics, dynamics, controls, system identification
• Experience with modern robotic simulators (Isaac Lab, MuJoCo, or equivalent)
• Understanding of Reinforcement Learning with research or production experience
• Experience with large-scale training workloads — deploying parallel simulations on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) with distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Ray, Kubernetes)

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 8+ years of experience in robotic simulation, software engineering, or related fields

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate

*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.