Senior Space Vehicle Simulation Developer

Job Summary

The Vehicle Systems Division (VSD) sits at the center of the ideas and data behind current and future systems supplying innovative research and development; technical evaluations during the acquisition process; conceptual and detailed design; assembly integration and test; and operational support. Comprised primarily of highlytrained mechanical and aerospace engineers VSD provides national expertise in the areas of vehicle engineering; guidance navigation and controls; robotics; electromechanical devices; embedded systems; fluid mechanics; propulsion; thermal control; mechanisms; structures; structural dynamics; and dynamic environments.

The Vehicle Modeling and Simulation (VMAS) Section sits within the Vehicle Engineering and Integration Department (VEID) within VSD. VMAS is responsible for implementing multidisciplinary analytical models and developing distributed simulation software tools required to execute the desired analyses with respect to satellite ground and launch vehicle development and operations.

Our team is seeking a Senior Space Vehicle Simulation Developer Engineering Specialist Modeling & Simulation and Systems Software Engineering) who has outstanding technical and programming skills an understanding of physics/physical hardware systems is inquisitive and motivated to learn and has uncompromising integrity and objectivity.

Work Model

This is a fulltime position based in Chantilly VA offering a hybrid work model that combines 34 days per week of regular onsite workdays with remote flexibility as the business needs allow.

What Youll Be Doing

• Support the buildup and application of distributed modeling and simulation software capabilities for civil and DOD government customers across the space industry

• Support multiple distributed simulation projects ranging from the development of space vehicle digital twin modeling and simulation capabilities to space architecture MODSIM

• Maintain and enhance Javabased distributed simulation frameworks with multithreaded architectures and develop new distributed simulation federates pre and postsimulation data processing and visualization tools

• Work with Vehicle Systems Division and other Aerospace subject matter experts to develop multidisciplinary mod/sim capabilities and ensure new simulation capabilities fit within a larger modular distributed mod/sim environment. This may include translating algorithmic descriptions refactoring legacy code and more

• Additional opportunities may include development and integration of hardware and softwareintheloop testing capabilities with the groups main mod/sim capabilities to enhance both emulation and testing fidelity

• Support and perform execution of mod/sim code and prepare visualizations and presentations to customer stakeholders

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Modeling and Simulation Software Engineer (Engineering Specialist Modeling & Simulation and Systems Software Engineering) role:

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science Software Engineering Physics or an Engineering discipline with experience in software engineering and development of technical and scientific softwareis required

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in a Software Engineering role is required

• Experience in Java with strong ObjectOriented design and development skill and knowledge of multithreaded multiprocessor networked and distributed systems and architectures

• Strong knowledge of HLA DIS TENA or other distributed simulation frameworks and communications frameworks such as ActiveMQ DDS and Kafka

• Practical knowledge and a willingness for continued learning with: C C FORTRAN and MATLAB to extract or port critical code experience with publishsubscribe architectures Python and JSON and XML files often used for data exchange and API definitions is required

• Experience developing physicsbased vehicle or subsystem level simulations including component simulation/emulation as well as physics dynamics orbital mechanics simulation

• Strong knowledge of space systems including spacecraft subsystems and interactions (GN&C CDH/flight computer power systems comms payloads etc. is a key requirement for this role

• Sound communication skills with an ability to explain software engineering processes activities architectures and designs technologies and operations to staff and customers with limited software engineering background

• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is to obtain a security clearance

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• Advanced degree in mechanical aerospace physics or related field and a software or computer engineering fieldis strongly preferred

• 12 or more years of experience in modeling and simulation software developmentis preferred

• Experience developing physicsbased vehicle or subsystem level simulations including component simulation/emulation as well as physics dynamics orbital mechanics simulation

• Experience with hardware and softwareintheloop testing including work with aerospace flight software or flight hardware and testing equipment including EGSE test racks PXIs simulators etc.

• Active TS/SCI security clearance w/CI Poly which is issued by the U.S. government is strongly desired. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance