Senior Instrument Scientist, Simulation

Role overview

An end-to-end space systems provider is hiring a Senior Instrument Scientist for Simulation to own the simulation and modeling that connect optical, detector, and scanner physics to on-orbit capability. The role spans concept through end of life, including building virtual instrument and digital twin representations of on-orbit hardware. It is part of the Electro-Optical/Infrared Instruments organization and includes participation in a 24/7 on-call rotation roughly one week every month and a half.

Responsibilities

- Develop and maintain end-to-end instrument performance simulations spanning optical, detector, and scanner physics through predicted on-orbit capability. - Build and maintain virtual instrument and digital twin representations of on-orbit hardware, keeping them aligned with as-built performance. - Define flight software inputs for operating modes, sensor readout, and scanner control based on simulation results. - Support on-orbit performance monitoring and anomaly investigation, feeding lessons learned back into models. - Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation to support on-orbit anomaly resolution.

Requirements

- Bachelor's, Master's, or doctoral degree in engineering, physics, or a related field, or equivalent experience. - 5+ years of experience coding and simulating performance for imaging systems, remote sensing instruments, or comparable electro-optical hardware. - Experience building instrument performance models or simulations across radiometric, geometric, optical, or systems-level concerns. - Software proficiency in one or more languages such as Python, Julia, or C++, with experience writing code that others depend on within a shared codebase. - Strong communication skills and comfort translating performance predictions into requirements and trade studies across systems, flight software, and mission teams.

Nice to have

- Familiarity with flight software concepts such as operating modes, sensor readout, or scanner and pointing control. - Exposure to radiometric or geometric calibration methodology. - Experience with virtual instruments or digital twin architectures. - Experience supporting on-orbit commissioning, calibration and validation, or fleet anomaly investigation. - Ability to apply first-principles physics to validate simulation outputs.

Benefits and work setup

- Salary range of $158,000–$207,000 plus a competitive equity grant and comprehensive benefits package. - Medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance. - Three weeks paid vacation for new employees, 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time, and paid parental leave. - On-site work at a Silicon Valley facility optimized for spacecraft manufacturing and payload integration. - Must be a U.S. person or otherwise eligible to access export-controlled information under ITAR/EAR.