Software Engineer, Spacecraft Simulation (C++)

Location: Fully onsite in Denver, Colorado or Long Beach, California; candidates must be based in or able to commute to an office daily.

Salary: $90,000–$140,000 base salary per year, plus equity and benefits.

Company

hirify.global develops autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors for space security and defense.

What you will do

• Develop and maintain high-fidelity multi-physics simulation libraries for spacecraft systems.
• Model 6DOF rigid-body dynamics, environmental perturbations, thermal systems, attitude control, propulsion, power systems, sensors, and actuators.
• Implement coupled-physics algorithms covering interactions such as thermal-structural, power-thermal, and propulsion-dynamics behavior.
• Design time-stepping algorithms, numerical solvers, and integration schemes for real-time and faster-than-real-time simulation.
• Maintain Python and C++ APIs used by internal mission planning, spacecraft operations, and trade-space analysis applications.
• Participate in code reviews, architecture discussions, sprint planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, physics, a similar discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 1–3 years of professional C++ experience, including modern C++ practices and object-oriented software development.
• Experience with Python for scripting and prototyping.
• Understanding of complex distributed systems and how software components integrate into larger systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to plan and execute work with stakeholder alignment.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance are required. ITAR compliance requires U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence, protected-individual status, or eligibility to obtain the necessary authorizations.

Nice to have

• Experience with physics-based spacecraft modeling and simulation environments.
• Knowledge of ODE solvers, Runge-Kutta integration, numerical linear algebra, matrix computations, and sparse matrix techniques.
• Experience with ADCS, GNC, thermal control, electric power, or propulsion systems.
• Knowledge of coordinate frames, quaternion mathematics, orbital mechanics, model validation, verification, and uncertainty quantification.
• Experience with Git and CI/CD pipelines.

Culture & Benefits

• Interdisciplinary work connecting military objectives, theoretical physics, spacecraft control, and autonomous systems.
• Health, dental, vision, HRA/HSA options, paid time off, and paid holidays.
• 401(k), parental leave, equity, and performance-based compensation considerations.
• Onsite collaboration in a fast-paced engineering environment.