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Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Pennsylvania State University

POSITION SPECIFICS We are searching for a Simulation Software Engineer to join our Simulation Software (SSW) Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. This motivated and ...

The Pennsylvania State University

$92K - $174K/yr

POSITION SPECIFICS We are searching for a Simulation Software Engineer to join our Simulation Software (SSW) Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. This motivated and ...

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Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer information

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$44.5K

$124.3K

$173.5K

How much do nuclear simulator software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for nuclear simulator software engineer in the United States is $124,275.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,000.00 and $140,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a nuclear simulator software engineer do?

A Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains computer-based simulation systems used for training operators and engineers in nuclear power plants. These simulators mimic the behavior of real nuclear reactors, allowing users to practice normal and emergency procedures in a safe, virtual environment. The role involves software development, modeling of physical processes, integration with hardware systems, and ensuring the simulator's accuracy matches that of the actual plant. Nuclear Simulator Software Engineers work closely with nuclear engineers, trainers, and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance and effectiveness.

What are some typical challenges faced by nuclear simulator software engineers during the development and maintenance of simulation software?

Nuclear Simulator Software Engineers often encounter challenges such as ensuring the accuracy and reliability of complex reactor models, integrating new regulatory or operational requirements, and troubleshooting performance issues under real-time constraints. Collaboration with nuclear engineers, operators, and training staff is essential to ensure the simulator replicates real-world scenarios effectively. Staying updated with evolving nuclear technologies and maintaining rigorous testing processes are also key to meeting safety and training standards in this highly specialized environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a nuclear simulator software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (such as C++, Python, or Java), a solid background in nuclear engineering or physics, and typically a bachelor's or master's degree in a related field. Experience with nuclear plant simulation software, real-time modeling systems, and familiarity with industry standards like RELAP or ROSS are highly valuable. Analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective teamwork set top candidates apart in this role. These skills are crucial for creating accurate, reliable training simulators that support nuclear plant safety and operator readiness.

What is the difference between Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer vs Nuclear Control Systems Engineer?

AspectNuclear Simulator Software EngineerNuclear Control Systems Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Software Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or related field; certifications like INPO or IEEE are beneficialBachelor's or Master's in Electrical, Control, or Nuclear Engineering; similar certifications may apply
Work EnvironmentDevelops simulation software for nuclear training and analysis, often in R&D or software development labsDesigns and maintains control systems for nuclear reactors, typically in operational or plant settings
Industry UsageUsed mainly in simulation, training, and research within nuclear industryApplied in reactor control, safety systems, and plant operation management

While both roles require strong engineering backgrounds and knowledge of nuclear systems, Nuclear Simulator Software Engineers focus on developing simulation software for training and research, whereas Nuclear Control Systems Engineers work on designing and maintaining control systems for reactor operation. Both roles are vital in the nuclear industry but serve different functions within the plant lifecycle.

What are popular job titles related to Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer jobs?

For Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Nuclear Simulator Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 14% Internship, and 86% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $124,275 per year, or $59.7 per hour.

Autonomous Simulation Software Engineer

Lynnwood, WA • On-site

Leidos
IT Services • 10K+ employees
Learn more about Leidosexternal

Full-time

Posted 27 days ago

Leidos rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 154 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Build the simulated worlds where autonomous UUVs learn, fail, improve, and prove they're ready for the real one.
Leidos is looking for an Autonomous Simulation Software Engineer to build the software and simulation infrastructure behind next-generation uncrewed underwater vehicles and maritime autonomous systems.
Autonomous systems operating underwater face a uniquely unforgiving environment: limited communications, uncertain navigation, imperfect sensors, complex vehicle dynamics, and missions where the software must make good decisions without waiting for help. We need simulation environments capable of reproducing those challenges with enough fidelity to develop, integrate, test, and ultimately trust the autonomy that operates in them.
This is a hands-on software engineering role for someone who enjoys building simulators, modeling complex systems, and creating reusable simulation frameworks. You'll develop software that models vehicles, sensors, environments, interfaces, faults, and behaviors-giving engineers the ability to exercise mission software repeatedly before putting a vehicle in the water.
You'll directly support a growing programwhile also helping evolve and expand our MAGMA-based Simulation Framework, creating simulation capabilities that can be reused across vehicles, missions, and programs.
We already have engineers who know autonomy and engineers who have built simulation capability out of necessity. We're looking for someone who brings simulation engineering as a discipline-and who wants to help us take that capability much further.
Why This Role Is Different
  • You'll build simulations that engineers actually depend on, not visualization demos.
  • You'll model real systems and real failure modes, including vehicles, sensors, environments, interfaces, and mission behaviors.
  • You'll help increase simulation fidelity, closing the gap between what happens in software and what happens when a vehicle enters the water.
  • You'll shape a growing simulation framework, not simply write scenarios against a finished product.
  • You'll work directly with autonomy and vehicle engineers, using simulation to find problems earlier and accelerate development.
  • You'll have room to experiment, developing new approaches for modeling, simulation, test, and analysis that can grow beyond a single program.

If you enjoy building software that recreates complicated real-world systems-and seeing that software make an engineering team faster and a deployed system more reliable-this is the role.
Primary Responsibilities
  • Build high-fidelity simulation software using modern C++, Java, and Python on Linux-based systems to model autonomous vehicles, sensors, environments, interfaces, and mission behavior.
  • Expand and evolve our MAGMA-based Simulation Framework, developing reusable simulation components, interfaces, models, tooling, and architectural patterns that can support multiple vehicles and programs.
  • Increase simulation fidelity by working with autonomy, systems, hardware, and test engineers to identify the behaviors and interactions that matter most and represent them effectively in software.
  • Model complex systems and behaviors, translating vehicle characteristics, sensor behavior, environmental effects, system interfaces, and operational constraints into useful software models.
  • Enable autonomy development and test, creating simulation environments where mission software can be exercised repeatedly across nominal, edge-case, degraded, and failure scenarios before deployment to real hardware.
  • Architect scalable simulation infrastructure, emphasizing modularity, extensibility, deterministic behavior where appropriate, performance, and reuse across different platforms and levels of simulation fidelity.
  • Connect simulation to production software, integrating simulated components with real autonomy and mission software through representative interfaces and protocols.
  • Build tools that accelerate engineering, including scenario generation, instrumentation, data collection, playback, debugging, visualization, and automated simulation execution.
  • Validate simulation against reality, using test data, system behavior, and engineering analysis to understand where models are representative-and where they are not.
  • Ship real capabilities, developing, integrating, testing, and maintaining production-quality simulation software with ownership from architecture through implementation and use.
  • Collaborate across disciplines, contributing to technical debates, design reviews, and trade studies involving autonomy, systems engineering, vehicle software, hardware, modeling, and test.
  • Continuously improve how we simulate and test, helping establish simulation engineering practices that increase development velocity without sacrificing technical rigor.

Basic Qualifications
  • Education & Experience - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Robotics, Engineering, or a related field with 8-12 years of experience, or a Master's degree with 6-10 years of experience.
  • Security Eligibility - Must have a current, active Secret clearance.
  • Serious C++ Skills - Demonstrated experience developing modern C++ software on Linux, with strong fundamentals in software architecture, performance, memory management, debugging, and code quality.
  • Simulation Software Experience - Experience developing software used to simulate, model, emulate, or test complex physical or cyber-physical systems.
  • Systems Thinking - Ability to understand how software components interact with sensors, hardware, networks, physical systems, and their operating environment-and translate those interactions into useful simulation abstractions.
  • Engineering Judgment - Ability to choose the right level of fidelity for the engineering problem rather than simply maximizing model complexity.
  • Software Architecture - Experience designing modular, extensible software systems with well-defined interfaces that can evolve as requirements and modeled systems change.
  • Modern Development Environments - Experience developing and deploying software in Linux and virtualized or containerized environments such as VMware or Docker.
  • Test & Analysis Mindset - Ability to design simulations and tests that expose meaningful system behavior, investigate unexpected results, and distinguish software defects from modeling limitations.
  • Clear Communication - Ability to explain complex technical ideas and modeling assumptions to software, systems, hardware, test, and program stakeholders.
  • Professional Integrity - Ownership, accountability, intellectual curiosity, and respect for teammates and mission outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Robotics & Autonomy - Hands-on experience with autonomous systems, robotics, decision-making, planning, navigation, controls, or mission-management software.
  • Vehicle Simulation - Experience modeling robotic vehicles, dynamics, sensors, actuators, navigation systems, communications, or environmental interactions.
  • SIL/HIL Experience - Experience developing or integrating Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), or other simulation and test environments.
  • Simulation Architecture - Experience developing reusable simulation frameworks rather than only creating individual models or scenarios.
  • Model Validation - Experience comparing simulated behavior against real-world data and identifying appropriate fidelity, assumptions, uncertainty, and limitations.
  • Scenario & Monte Carlo Testing - Experience creating automated scenarios, parameter sweeps, Monte Carlo analysis, fault injection, or large-scale simulation campaigns.
  • Distributed Simulation - Experience with simulation systems composed of multiple processes, nodes, services, or federated components operating through realistic interfaces.
  • Polyglot Engineering - Experience across multiple languages such as C#, Java, Python, or Rust and comfort adapting to new stacks quickly.
  • Embedded or Low-Level Experience - Exposure to embedded systems, resource-constrained environments, real-time systems, or software interacting directly with vehicle hardware.
  • Legacy-to-Modern Skill - Experience diagnosing, refactoring, and improving large or aging codebases while preserving working capabilities.
  • Maritime or Undersea Experience - Background with autonomous, remotely operated, or mission-critical platforms, particularly UUVs, AUVs, ROVs, or other maritime systems.
  • Systems Engineering Familiarity - Familiarity with MBSE concepts and tools such as Cameo or MagicDraw and the relationship between system models, software architecture, simulation, verification, and validation.
  • Toolchain Familiarity - Experience with ROS, Protocol Buffers, SCons, VS Code, CI/CD systems, and cross-platform build environments is a strong plus.

SUBSEAMSS
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
August 19, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

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About Leidos

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At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers' success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainable practices. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Reston, VA, US

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