Space Operations Planning and Simulation Engineer

Overview Are you interested in changing science fiction into reality for our national security in space? Are you passionate about creating algorithms for autonomous spacecraft operations? Do you want to work with brilliant colleagues on challenging problems while still having work-life balance? If so, we're looking for someone like you on our team at APL! Join our team as a Space Operations Planning and Simulation Engineer to enhance a mature, flight‑proven software framework used for autonomous science observation planning, scheduling, and spacecraft commanding. You will develop new capabilities in high‑fidelity simulation, opportunity detection, conflict resolution, command sequence generation, and performance optimization. This role offers the chance to directly impact national security and scientific space missions by making operations faster, smarter, and more scalable. This role emphasizes modern DevSecOps practices, cloud‑native architectures, and secure development/deployment in classified environments. Responsibilities Design and implement new modules for autonomous planning, scheduling, and conflict resolution Extend simulation capabilities for orbital mechanics, sensor observations, and end‑to‑end kill chains / engagement scenarios Develop algorithms for opportunity detection, resource optimization, and command sequence generation Integrate with MATLAB, Linux/HPC environments, and existing modeling tools Collaborate with mission analysts, systems engineers, and sponsors to translate operational needs into robust software solutions Document, test, and present new capabilities to internal teams and external stakeholders Qualifications Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field. Have strong programming experience in Java (or similar object‑oriented languages) for building complex, modular software systems. Possess 4+ years of experience developing software for simulations, modeling, or analysis tools — preferably in aerospace, space operations, or scientific computing domains. Have a solid understanding of orbital mechanics, spacecraft operations, or related physical systems. Have demonstrated ability to design, implement, test, and document new software features or modules. Possess strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a small, high‑impact team. Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical presentations for internal teams and external sponsors. Are able to obtain a TS/SCI+poly level security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship. Preferred Qualifications Have direct experience with spacecraft mission planning, scheduling, commanding, or autonomous operations software. Have a background in constraint‑based scheduling, opportunity detection algorithms, or optimization techniques. Have demonstrated experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins) including build, test, security scanning, and deployment stages. Possess demonstrated proficiency with modern software best practices. Salary Minimum Rate: $100,000 Annually Maximum Rate: $245,000 Annually EEO Statement All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. #J-18808-Ljbffr