Staff Engineer, Modelling and Simulation (R5700)

The role

You will lead the development and operation of simulation capabilities for Hivemind Mission Autonomy programs in Australia. You will design, build and maintain real-time and faster-than-real-time simulation environments used to test uncrewed aircraft autonomy.

What you will do

• Lead the architecture, design and evolution of distributed, real-time simulation systems.
• Architect and implement high-performance C++ software for modelling, simulation and system interoperability.
• Develop and optimise real-time and distributed simulation software for multi-agent and system-of-systems scenarios.
• Integrate defence simulation frameworks such as AFSIM or NGTS.
• Design and deliver containerised simulation deployments using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Provide technical and project leadership to engineering teams of 5 or more contributors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to connect simulation with autonomy algorithms, hardware interfaces and automated test pipelines.
• Drive improvement in CI/CD, test-driven development, software architecture and simulation tooling.
• Support key customer programs by delivering robust, validated and scalable simulation environments.

Required qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mechatronics or a related field.
• Extensive professional experience in software engineering and systems integration.
• Strong experience with modern C++ and familiarity with legacy C++ standards.
• Professional experience with Python.
• Demonstrated success delivering reliable software in fast-paced engineering environments.
• Experience leading teams delivering complex engineering or software projects.
• Hands-on experience with real-time, distributed simulation systems or HWIL/SWIL environments.
• Experience with Docker or similar containerisation technologies.
• Proficiency working in Linux development environments.
• Strong problem-solving capability.
• Strong history of collaboration, accountability and being an effective and kind teammate.
• Ability to obtain an Australian NV1 security clearance.

Nice to have

• Defence industry experience.
• Experience with uncrewed systems, particularly in the air domain.
• Experience with AFSIM, NGTS or similar defence simulation environments.
• Experience with data processing, analysis pipelines or test automation workflows, especially Python-based.

Before you apply

• Australian citizenship is mandatory for this role.
• Eligibility to view ITAR and Australian export-controlled information is required.
• An Australian Government security clearance is required; the company will sponsor the clearance.
• All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defence-tech company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.