Modeling & Simulation Engineer - Operations Analysis
Location: Hawthorne, CA- 20 minutes from LAX
Onsite requirements: 4 days onsite (Mon-Thurs)
Engagement: 6 month contract to hire (with top performers converting earlier)
Contract type: W2 - with benefits (healthcare, dental, vision, 401k)
We are seeking a highly capable Modeling & Simulation Engineer – Operations Analysis to join our growing engineering team. In this role, you will develop, execute, and analyze high-fidelity simulations that evaluate the performance and effectiveness of advanced aerospace, defense, and autonomous systems in operationally relevant environments.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Data Science, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of experience supporting defense, intelligence, aerospace, or advanced technology programs.
- Demonstrated experience performing quantitative analysis using modeling, simulation, statistical methods, and data-driven decision-making techniques.
- Strong programming skills in Python and MATLAB, including experience with scientific computing, data analysis, machine learning, and visualization libraries such as NumPy, SciPy, Pandas, Polars, Scikit-Learn, PyTorch, Matplotlib, or equivalent toolsets.
- Experience developing analytical software tools, data pipelines, and automated workflows.
- Strong understanding of statistical analysis, uncertainty quantification, Monte Carlo methods, experimental design, and performance assessment methodologies.
- Experience developing or working with rigid-body and six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) simulations.
- Experience using modern software development practices, including version control, collaborative development workflows, and AI-assisted software development tools.
- Comfortable working in Linux-based development environments.
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience conducting operations analysis studies using mission-level combat simulations such as AFSIM, ESAMS, Brawler, STK, or equivalent defense-focused modeling environments.
- Strong background in assessing mission effectiveness through statistically rigorous analysis and operational experimentation.
- Experience analyzing radar system performance, sensor effectiveness, tracking performance, detection capabilities, and electronic warfare systems.
- Expertise in modeling and simulation of aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, missiles, spacecraft, communications systems, and advanced sensors.
- Experience evaluating air-to-air, air-to-surface, surface-to-air, electronic warfare, and multi-domain mission scenarios.
- Familiarity with Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS), High-Level Architecture (HLA), and related simulation interoperability frameworks.
- Experience with visualization and simulation environments such as MAK VR-Forces, SIMDIS, or similar tools.
- Exposure to autonomy, Guidance Navigation & Control (GNC), PX4, software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), X-Plane, Gazebo, NVIDIA Omniverse, or related simulation ecosystems.
- Experience supporting Department of Defense organizations, intelligence agencies, DARPA, AFRL, ONR, Naval Research Laboratory, or similar government research and development organizations.
- Active TS/SCI security clearance.