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Modeling & Simulation Engineer – Operations Analysis

Location: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: On-Site
Clearance: Top Secret eligibility required

About the Opportunity

An advanced aerospace and defense technology company is building a new Operations Analysis and Modeling & Simulation capability within its engineering organization.

We are seeking a Modeling & Simulation Engineer to develop and apply analytical models that evaluate the performance of sensors, weapons, platforms, and threats across complex defense scenarios.

This role is well suited to an engineer or analyst with experience in operations analysis, mission engineering, radar or sensor modeling, guidance and controls, flight simulation, or related defense applications. You will use physics-based modeling, statistical analysis, and simulation to evaluate system performance and help inform engineering and mission-level decisions.

The ideal candidate combines strong STEM fundamentals with practical simulation experience and is comfortable translating mathematical and physical concepts into executable models.

What You'll Do

• Develop and execute modeling and simulation analyses for complex aerospace and defense systems.
• Translate equations, physical models, and engineering assumptions into executable models and analysis tools, primarily using Python or MATLAB.
• Model radar and sensor performance, including detection, tracking, engagement, and effectiveness against a range of potential threats.
• Analyze missile, aircraft, UAV, and other threat characteristics and their effects on system performance.
• Apply simulation to evaluate portions of the end-to-end engagement or kill chain, including detection, tracking, guidance, engagement, and intercept.
• Build and run simulations at varying levels of fidelity depending on the analysis objective.
• Understand the tradeoffs between high-fidelity and lower-fidelity models and determine when each approach is appropriate.
• Develop first-order and low-to-medium-fidelity models to rapidly evaluate system concepts and operational scenarios.
• Analyze simulation results using statistical methods and sound engineering judgment.
• Identify important variables, sensitivities, and performance drivers within complex systems.
• Determine when to develop analytical capabilities from first principles versus leveraging existing simulation frameworks and libraries.
• Work independently on technically ambiguous problems while responding effectively to changing analytical priorities.
• Collaborate with systems, software, sensor, weapons, and other engineering disciplines to translate operational questions into useful analytical models.
• Help establish modeling methodologies, analysis standards, and simulation capabilities as the Operations Analysis discipline grows.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in defense, intelligence, aerospace, advanced technology, or a closely related technical environment.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in a STEM discipline such as Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Strong fundamentals in physics, mathematics, statistics, and probability.
• Strong intuition for physical systems, including sensor behavior, vehicle/missile kinematics, and dynamics.
• Experience with modeling and simulation of complex physical or defense systems.
• Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for analytical modeling and simulation.
• Experience with at least one defense-oriented modeling or simulation environment, such as:
  • AppSim
  • Ansys SDK
  • AFSIM
  • Brawler
  • ESAMS
  • Comparable engagement, mission, radar, or weapon-system simulation tools
• Understanding of the kill chain and how detection, tracking, guidance, engagement, and interception interact.
• Ability to work independently and make sound technical decisions with incomplete information.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain analytical results to engineers and technical stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and significant individual ownership.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Willingness to work on defense systems and technologies that may have potential weapon applications.

Particularly Relevant Experience

The strongest candidates may come from backgrounds including:

• Operations Analysis
• Mission Engineering
• Radar or sensor performance analysis
• Missile systems analysis
• Guidance, navigation, and control
• Flight or engagement simulation
• Weapon-system modeling
• Defense mission analysis
• Aerospace systems modeling
• Threat modeling and analysis

Experience across any portion of the engagement chain can be relevant, including detection, tracking, guidance, targeting, engagement, or intercept analysis.

Candidates with direct experience modeling radar performance, missile engagements, sensor detection and tracking, or weapon-system effectiveness will be particularly well aligned.

Simulation & Technical Tools

Experience with established defense simulation environments is highly valuable, particularly:

Preferred:

• AppSim
• Ansys SDK

Also Relevant:

• AFSIM
• Brawler
• ESAMS
• Other comparable mission, engagement, radar, or weapon-system simulation environments

Experience with these tools is valuable not simply because of the software itself, but because it demonstrates familiarity with the underlying concepts of weapon geometry, sensor performance, engagement modeling, and kill-chain analysis.

Strong Python experience is preferred. Candidates with strong MATLAB backgrounds may also be well suited, particularly when combined with relevant simulation and defense experience.

What Success Looks Like

During the first year, you will be expected to:

• Become proficient in the organization's modeling and simulation methodologies.
• Develop and execute useful analytical models for current engineering and mission questions.
• Translate physical and mathematical concepts into reliable simulation code.
• Apply appropriate levels of model fidelity based on the problem being analyzed.
• Produce analysis that helps engineering teams understand system performance and tradeoffs.
• Expand the organization's simulation and Operations Analysis capabilities.
• Establish repeatable modeling and analysis practices that can scale with the team.
• Take increasing ownership of complex analysis efforts and contribute to building the broader Operations Analysis discipline.

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to join an engineering organization at the point where a new Operations Analysis and Modeling & Simulation discipline is being established.

Rather than inheriting a mature analytical organization, you will have the opportunity to influence how modeling, simulation, and operational analysis are performed and to help establish the technical foundation for the function.

The role offers substantial technical ownership and exposure to complex problems involving radar, sensors, missiles, threats, engagement scenarios, and system effectiveness.

It is particularly suited to an engineer or analyst who enjoys combining physics, statistics, programming, and systems thinking to answer difficult real-world questions.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive compensation will be based on experience and technical qualifications.

The company offers a comprehensive benefits package and relocation support for qualified candidates.

This is a full-time, on-site position in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.