Software Engineer (Modeling & Simulation) ATC Systems

We are seeking a Software Engineer with a deep understanding of Modeling & Simulation (M&S) paradigms to support software development lifecycle tasks for NAWCAD WOLF’s ATC&LS missions in Patuxent River, MD.

This role focuses on the design, code generation, and implementation of robust simulation software models, user interfaces, and discrete-event simulators.

Your software tools will evaluate air traffic management capabilities, simulate high-density airspace environments, and evaluate predictive analytics for automated decision-support systems.

• Simulation Software Development: Architect, develop, and refactor high-performance simulation software used to evaluate terminal air traffic control architectures, landing dynamics, and multi-sensor processing algorithms.
• Scenario Generation: Develop and program flexible scenario generation software engines to replicate complex operational environments, electronic interference, and variable meteorological conditions for testing.
• UI/UX for Simulation Labs: Design and implement user interfaces and visualization dashboards for flight-deck, carrier ops, or shore-based ATC simulation laboratories.
• Code Integration & Optimization: Integrate discrete physics-based and statistical mathematical models into broader distributed simulation networks (e.g., HLA/DIS protocols).
• Software QA & Lifecycle Support: Conduct object-oriented analysis, unit testing, and software integration testing to fulfill rigorous software safety and technical compliance frameworks.
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related computational field.
• Experience: 5+ years of software engineering experience with specific focus on building, tuning, or maintaining simulation engines.
• Technical Skills: Mastery of object-oriented programming languages, specifically C++, Java, or Python, within both Windows and Linux deployment environments. Hands-on experience utilizing distributed simulation interoperability standards, specifically High-Level Architecture (HLA) or Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS). Familiarity with version control pipelines (Git/GitLab), CI/CD practices, and Agile software development workflows.