Simulation Engineer III, Autonomy & Robotics

Application close date:

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! 

As part of a passionate and accomplished team of experts, you will be responsible for building the simulation capabilities that enable the future of robotic space exploration. We are developing the next generation of autonomous rovers, landers, and in-space systems that will build a road to space. This role is central to our ability to develop, test, and verify the advanced AI and autonomy software that will make this vision a reality.

The Simulation Engineer III will design, build, and operate high-fidelity digital environments and testbeds. You will work closely with AI/ML engineers, GNC engineers, and vehicle systems engineers to create simulations that push the boundaries of our autonomous systems, ensuring they are robust, reliable, and ready for their mission.

We are looking for someone to join our team who is mission-driven, subscribes to the highest standards of quality, and is passionate about building the future of humanity in space.

• Develop, integrate, and maintain high-fidelity simulation environments using frameworks such asGazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, and other industry-standard tools.
• Create and validate physics-based models of vehicle dynamics, actuator responses, and environmental interactions (e.g., lunar regolith mechanics).
• Develop accurate sensor models for cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, and other sensor modalities essential for autonomous navigation and perception.
• Design, implement, and operateHardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testbeds to validate flight software and autonomy algorithms against real hardware.
• Execute large-scale,faster-than-real-time simulationcampaigns for Monte Carlo analysis, performance characterization, and formal verification of autonomous systems.
• Collaborate with AI/ML teams to generate high-qualitysynthetic datafor training and testing perception and navigation models.
• Develop tools and infrastructure for simulation automation, data analysis, and results visualization.

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience developing and utilizing complex, physics-based simulations for aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems.
• Demonstrated proficiency with one or more industry-standard simulation frameworks (e.g.,Gazebo/Ignition, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Unreal Engine, Chrono).
• Strong software development skills in C++ and Python.
• Hands-on experience withHardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)simulation design and execution.
• Experience modeling rigid body dynamics and sensor modalities (e.g., cameras, IMUs, LiDAR).

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant engineering or science discipline.
• Experience developingclosed-loop simulations for aviation or space vehicles(e.g., launch vehicles, spacecraft, planetary rovers, drones).
• Proven experience using simulation forsynthetic data generationto train and validate perception, navigation, or other AI/ML models.
• Experience with robotics middleware such as ROS/ROS2.
• Familiarity with GPU-accelerated computing (CUDA) for simulation and rendering.
• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines for simulation environments.

Base Pay Range for:

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.