Principal Software Engineer Simulator

About Six Robotics

At Six Robotics youre not just joining a company; Youre joining a mission to reshape the future of autonomous systems.

At Six Robotics we build intelligent software that gives Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) the ability to collaborate adapt on the fly and execute missions that were previously impossible. From our base in Oslo our 50 experts in defence software and AI develop Valkyrie our flagship autonomy and swarm platform used by both government and close partnership with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) we move fast from concept to live deployment often in the field alongside end users.

We work with advanced hardware and software a modern tech stack and missions that demand both technical mastery and operational discipline. Everyone is close to the action from deep technical problem-solving to field operations. We move fast and value clarity integrity and teamwork in everything we do.

At Six Robotics every person executes with precision adapts to changing conditions and strengthens the team. Getting in is hard and youll be challenged every day. But if you have the skill the discipline and the drive to push your limits youll find no better place to deliver real-world impact while collaborating and learning from the best in the field.

About The Role

We are establishing a dedicated simulation team aiming to strengthen autonomy development and validation. The simulator(s) will be used in R&D for training of drone operators and will be a key component in quality assurance through automated testing. To succeed we need someone who wants to take technical ownership of the new team to define the simulation direction select the right third-party components and deliver a developer friendly simulator stack that we can develop further through deeper integrations and extensions.

You will work on realistic end-to-end simulation of UAV swarm autonomy missions covering both mission-level behavior and environment dynamics (e.g. wind snow takeoff/landing conditions). The work spans architecture decisions integration of simulators and tooling sensor/environment mocking containerized deployment and making simulation a key asset for CI and regression testing. Hardware-in-the-loop / HITL integration into the simulator is also in the scope of the project.

Success in this role means that within six months you have delivered an MVP simulator that can run an autonomy mission end-to-end with clear technical direction for how the simulation stack should evolve. Simulation is usable in practice (not just a demo): it runs reliably supports repeatable testing in CI and is understood well enough that other engineers can contribute productively.

What You Will Do

• Own the simulation domain end-to-end
  Take the full technical ownership of Six Robotics simulation capabilities spanning autonomy missions environment modeling sensor simulation and integration with real systems.

• Design and evolve the simulation architecture
  Define and drive the overall simulation architecture including tool selection and integration strategy (third-party components in-house glue).

• Enable autonomy and development validation
  Build a simulation environment that enables realistic development and validation of swarm autonomy behavior including takeoff landing environmental effects (wind snow) sensor inputs and platform dynamics.

• Set technical direction in a team
  Together you deliver an MVP capable of simulating an autonomy mission end-to-end and evolve it toward a scalable framework.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer who thrives in complex domains where technical ownership is real and outcomes matter. You are a hands-on engineer who can take responsibility for hard simulation problems end-to-end and turn unclear requirements into working scalable systems.

You bring strong technical judgment and have seen both what good looks like and where simulation efforts fail. You are comfortable making architectural decisions independently choosing the right tools rather than building everything from scratch and setting a technical direction that others can build on. While you will collaborate closely with other engineers the core of this role is about technical leadership through execution.

Working closely with the CTO and with senior engineers and domain experts in other teams you act as a key technical authority for simulation and autonomy validation. You help ensure that simulation becomes a reliable foundation for R&D training and future capabilities by being pragmatic and rigorous.

We believe the right candidate brings

• 5 years of highly relevant experience in simulation autonomy robotics automotive or defence software.

• Hands-on experience with simulation platforms and opinions on what they bring to the table (e.g. Gazebo Isaac Sim VBS4 game-engine-based simulation or in-house simulators).

• Hand-on experience with what great looks like when it comes to simulation and the ability to rebuild that even better from scratch.

• Solid software engineering skills with Python CI integration and Docker/containerized environments.

• Clear efficient communication and the ability to drive alignment across technical stakeholders.

• Fluency in English (Norwegian not required).

Nice-to-haves:

• Hands-on experience setting up industrial simulator environments from scratch

• Interest in taking a team lead role

Why You Should Join

At Six Robotics were not just building software - were redefining how unmanned systems operate in the real world. If youre driven by meaningful problems technical depth and the chance to shape something from the ground up youll find your place here.

• Work on problems that matter
  Our technology helps unlock smarter safer and more adaptable UAV operations in defense and industry solving real challenges with direct tangible impact.

• Lead the shift in a hardware-dominated space
  Were bringing modern AI autonomy and scalable software into a field thats long relied on rigid pre-programmed systems to change how UAVs are designed deployed and managed.

• Build from zero shape the future
  Join early and help define the core systems tools and culture of a company thats still being built - where your ideas code and decisions will have a lasting influence.

• Work with purpose supported by great benefits
  Youll be part of a mission-driven team that values clarity integrity and collaboration offering competitive pay equity potential strong insurance and pension plans and ongoing learning opportunities.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At Six Robotics we are committed to creating a workplace built on respect integrity and collaboration. We value different perspectives and experiences and we believe that diversity within our team strengthens both our work and our culture. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply and help us build technology that makes a real impact.

Our Recruitment Process

We aim to keep our process short and sweet but also thorough. As a small team every hire matters and we cant afford to get this one wrong.

Heres what to expect:

1. Screening interview with one of our recruiters to get to know you better (30 min).

2. Meet & Greet with someone from the team to learn more about us (60 min).

3. Structured case interview to understand how you approach problem-solving (90 min).

4. Final interview and a chance to meet with the management team (45 min).

5. Reference check followed by an offer if everything goes well
   
   

Security Clearance Requirement

All employees at Six Robotics are required to undergo a security clearance due to our close collaboration with the Norwegian Armed Forces. While prior clearance is not necessary the clearance process will be initiated as part of onboarding.