Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
As a Simulation Framework Engineer on the Simulation Framework Team, you will write the C++ and Python code, design adapters, and build custom plugins for our modeling and simulation (M&S) environments and core autonomy software. Your work is hands-on and technical, creating reusable, robust software patterns that abstract simulation details away from the core autonomy stack. Integration teams own program-level software integration; this role partners with and supports those teams by diagnosing framework, plugin, and interface issues in the simulation software the team designs and maintains.
You will write simulation plugins and software layers for DoD-recognized simulation backends including NGTS, AFSIM, Aechelon, HMSSimBlocks, and the emerging Hivemind Simulation Framework (HMSF). Rather than managing teams, you will focus on the hands-on execution of migrating HMSSimBlocks capabilities to HMSF—building baseline adapters, porting custom modules, and ensuring functional parity—while maintaining active support and backward compatibility for programs currently relying on HMSSimBlocks.
What you'll do:
- Write, compile, and maintain baseline software adapters, plugins, and interfaces in C++ and Python for AFSIM, NGTS, Aechelon, HMSSimBlocks, and HMSF.
- Execute the hands-on technical migration from HMSSimBlocks to HMSF, porting custom HMS simulation features to HMSF while maintaining active support for legacy HMSSimBlocks users.
- Design, implement, and maintain a reusable CIGI plugin layer across our simulation frameworks to enable seamless visual communication with Aechelon image generators.
- Ensure simulation frameworks and baseline plugins are designed for extensibility, writing clear templates and code architectures that allow other portfolios to plug in custom sensors or models.
- Maintain functional parity across simulation plugins with respect to CSF (Common Scenario Format) file loading, DDS communication capabilities, GRID interface standards, and Hivemind SDK updates.
- Support integration teams in debugging complex simulation-autonomy issues by analyzing framework behavior, network data, DDS traffic, and API call-stacks.
- Write robust unit tests, automated integration tests, and clear code documentation to ensure simulation stability.
Required qualifications:
- Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- Strong software development background in C++ and Python within a Linux environment.
- Solid software engineering fundamentals, including version control (Git), automated testing, and disciplined debugging.
- Experience writing or maintaining plugins, baseline interfaces, or modeling frameworks for simulation environments such as AFSIM, NGTS, or similar.
- Familiarity with network protocols (UDP/TCP), DDS middleware, serialization, or interface standards (such as CIGI).
- Excellent technical troubleshooting skills and a desire to help other developers resolve integration bugs.
- Ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. SECRET security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).
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Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
