Airbus UpNext Spain – UAS Synthetic Environment & Sensor Simulation Engineer (mf)

Job Description:

The UAS (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) Synthetic Environment & Sensor Simulation Engineer (M/F) position is within Airbus UpNext Spain based in Getafe starting ASAP. It consists of a limited contract linked to the delivery of the flight autonomy demonstrator with an estimated completion date at the end of December 2028.

Airbus UpNext is looking for a Synthetic Environment & Sensor Simulation Engineer to develop the virtual environments synthetic sensor models and automated scenario-generation capabilities required by the flight autonomy demonstrator.

The role will use synthetic environment and sensor simulation tools based on Unreal Engine as backbone to generate diverse environments operational conditions and sensor data. These capabilities will support two main activities the generation of fully synthetic and hybrid datasets for the offline training benchmarking and validation of AI models and the generation of procedural virtual worlds and synthetic sensor data for real-time testing of the Flight Autonomy system.

During real-time simulation the simulation host will provide the ground-truth motion and state of the air vehicle. The synthetic-environment platform will use this information to generate synchronized sensor outputs and inject them into the autonomy system under test.

Should you find passion in constructing high-fidelity digital representations of reality and modeling sensor perception under rigorous real-time demands and integration challenges this could be your designated boarding gate.

The Gig in a Nutshell:

Build the virtual worlds and physics-based sensor simulations that train and validate our flight autonomy systems. You will leverage Unreal Engine to generate synthetic datasets for AI training and feed real-time sensor data into hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test rigs.

Key Responsibilities

• Procedural Environments: Build dynamic procedural virtual worlds (terrain urban areas weather lighting obstacles) using game engine technology.

• Dataset Generation: Create high-fidelity synthetic and hybrid datasets with precise ground-truth annotations (depth segmentation tracking) to train and benchmark perception algorithms.

• Sensor Modeling: Configure and validate physics-based sensor models (cameras LiDAR radar) that mimic real-world limitations noise and latency.

• Real-Time Integration & Automation: Connect simulated environments with real-time flight autonomy hardware. Build automated pipelines to run large-scale simulation campaigns locally or in the cloud.

• Cross-Team Collaboration: Translate algorithm and testing needs from the perception safety and flight-test teams into executable simulation scenarios.

Your Boarding Pass

What You Bring

• Simulation & Game Engines: Deep experience with Unreal Engine Unity NVIDIA Omniverse or equivalent including procedural scene generation.

• Physics-Based Sensor Modeling: Proven knowledge of modeling cameras (optical/IR) LiDAR or radar alongside physically based rendering (PBR).

• Data & ML Foundation: Familiarity with dataset annotation ground-truth generation domain randomization and synthetic-to-real transfer techniques.

• Technical Stack: Strong programming skills in Python and C with experience using Linux Docker and distributed simulation architectures (ROS2/DDS).

• The Mindset: A proactive systems thinker who enjoys translating high-level flight test objectives into automated pipelines. You value transparency adaptability and speed.

• Willingness to have fun

What you get:

• Pivotal Role in a Strategic Mission and develop Critical Competences: play a key part in a project at the forefront of the development of technology to enable UAS flight and open the way for complex missions.

• Build Something that last:Your work will create high-value assets and learning contribution for Airbuss future.

• Work on the Edge of Technology: Explore disruptive technologies at their limits.

• Agile and Empowering Environment: Thrive in a work culture that empowers you to act and think like a start-up while being supported by the strong expertise of Airbus. We value an eagerness to take initiative and propose efficient ways of working.

• A Great Team and Culture: Be part of a high-achieving experienced and fun team in a shared open-space office with highly skilled colleagues. We are guided by the Care for Each Other value.

• The responsibilities and the technical scopeof the job might evolve according to the agile working environment of the project so being flexible is important.

• Flexibility & Fun: Enjoy the ability to craft your calendar with flexible hours and the opportunity to work remotely alongside regular UpNext community bonding events. And yes we have complimentary freshly ground coffee and beverages

About Us & Values

Airbus UpNext empowers you to think and act like a startup backed by the robust expertise of this role you will embody our core DNA:

• #Speed of Execution:Moving fast prioritizing fast experimentation and agility over paperwork.

• #Be Audacious:Welcoming challenges; constantly striving to push boundaries.

• #Be Simple:Finding the most efficient pragmatic path to success.

• #Caring for Each Other & #Be Open to the World:Building a trustful team and expanding global partnerships.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity as the foundation for the Companys success reputation and sustainable growth.

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