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Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer Jobs in California

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Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer information

What is the difference between Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer vs Reservoir Engineer?

AspectTemporary Reservoir Simulation EngineerReservoir Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Petroleum Engineering or related field; familiarity with simulation softwareBachelor's or Master's in Petroleum Engineering; professional engineering license often preferred
Work EnvironmentProject-based, temporary assignments in oil and gas companies or consulting firmsLong-term employment within oil and gas companies or consulting firms
Industry UsageUsed during specific reservoir modeling projects or simulationsInvolved in ongoing reservoir management and production optimization

The Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer focuses on short-term, project-specific reservoir modeling tasks, often working temporarily on simulations. In contrast, Reservoir Engineers typically have ongoing roles managing reservoir performance and production over time. Both roles require similar technical skills but differ mainly in duration and scope of employment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer, you need a strong background in petroleum engineering, fluid dynamics, and numerical modeling, often supported by a relevant engineering degree. Proficiency in reservoir simulation software such as Eclipse, CMG, or PETREL, and familiarity with data analysis tools is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication skills set candidates apart in this role. These competencies are crucial for accurately modeling reservoir behavior, optimizing production strategies, and supporting team decision-making in short-term project environments.

What are some common challenges faced by Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineers when integrating new models into existing workflows?

Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineers often encounter challenges such as aligning new simulation models with legacy data and established workflows, ensuring model accuracy within tight deadlines, and adapting quickly to diverse software platforms used by different teams. Since the position is temporary, engineers must rapidly understand the reservoir characteristics and project objectives while communicating effectively with geologists, production engineers, and IT specialists. Proactive collaboration and strong documentation skills are essential to ensure a smooth handover and integration of simulation results into ongoing reservoir management strategies.

What are Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineers?

Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineers are professionals hired on a short-term basis to analyze and model the behavior of fluids within oil and gas reservoirs. They use specialized software to simulate reservoir performance, assist in optimizing production strategies, and provide technical support for field development planning. Their work helps companies make informed decisions about drilling, production, and reservoir management. Temporary roles typically fill gaps during peak project periods or when specialized expertise is needed for a specific timeframe.
Infographic showing various Temporary Reservoir Simulation Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution.

Staff Engineer, Modeling & Simulation (R4869)

Shield AI

San Diego, CA

$150K - $220K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 8 days ago


Job description

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:

The Aircraft Simulation team turns frontier autonomy into mission-ready aircraft. We own the commit-to-flight pipeline—deterministic aircraft and mission simulation, HITL/SITL integration, CI/CD, and tooling for automated flight qualification testing. Our goal is simple: make AI fly—safely, reliably, and fast.

As a Staff Modeling & Simulation Engineer, you will be dedicated to Shield AI’s next-generation aircraft program, contributing to our emergent modeling & simulation tooling. You’ll design, build, and scale novel aircraft subsystem models, develop infrastructure that enables robust automated testing for our next generation XBAT product line, and conduct system performance analysis.

What you'll do:
  • Develop models and infrastructure for the integrated simulation pipeline in C++.
  • Design deterministic, high-performance simulation tools capable of faster-than-real-time execution for development, testing, and release.
  • Implement test scenarios and write unit, system, and regression tests.
  • Collaborate across autonomy, embedded, GNC, and test engineering to ensure the simulation mirrors real aircraft behavior and mission scenarios.
  • Contribute to platform-agnostic simulation tooling to accelerate current and future aircraft design and development efforts.
  • Perform verification and validation (V&V) analysis activities on modeling tools.
  • Conduct system performance analysis and generate reports and visualizations.
  • Utilize best practices in C++, simulation architecture, and performance engineering.
Required qualifications:
  • BS or MS in Computer Science, Aerospace, Robotics, or related field.
  • 7+ years of experience in simulation software development, with emphasis on modern C++ (C++17 or later) and performance optimization.
  • Strong understanding of rigid-body dynamics, kinematics, aerodynamics, and sensor mechanics.
  • Proven experience developing or integrating simulation systems for robotics, aerospace, and/or autonomous systems.
  • Ability to debug complex build and runtime environments (CMake, package management, logging, and profiling tools).
  • Experience with software testing tools (GTest, etc.)
  • Experience with simulation V&V.
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills across software, hardware, and systems disciplines.
  • Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
  • Grasp of real-time and deterministic software design, including multi-threading, synchronization, and memory management.
  • Experience with DevOps-integrated simulation workflows, including CI/CD and automated hardware testing environments.
  • Working knowledge of Python for data analysis, test automation, or simulation orchestration.
  • Familiarity with aircraft and flight physics modeling.
#LI-SM1
#LD

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. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.