Simulation Software Technical Lead - Lunar Terrain Vehicle

Simulation Software Technical Lead - Lunar Terrain Vehicle

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Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting‑edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With the first commercial lunar landing in history, multiple NASA lunar missions in development, and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting our customers and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon.

Our world‑class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on‑orbit operations, and safety.

As the Simulation Software Technical Lead for the LTV program, you will provide technical direction and hands‑on leadership for the design, implementation, integration, and validation of high‑fidelity simulation environments. You will guide a multidisciplinary team of developers and engineers in building, testing, and maintaining simulation models that accurately represent spacecraft dynamics, environmental interactions, and system behavior. This role requires a deep understanding of software architecture, simulation frameworks, and spacecraft system modeling, as well as strong communication and mentoring skills.

• Employment in this role is contingent upon NASA selecting Intuitive Machines as the winner of the LTVS program, scheduled for announcement later in 2025.

• Serve as the technical owner for the LTV simulation architecture, driving design strategy and implementation priorities.
• Lead development of environmental, vehicle, and I/O simulation models, ensuring alignment with program and flight software requirements.
• Mentor and guide simulation engineers, conducting peer reviews, design walkthroughs, and providing technical oversight.
• Collaborate with Flight Software, Systems Engineering, and Test teams to integrate realistic environment and effector models supporting mission validation.
• Define and enforce best practices for code quality, test coverage, and documentation within the simulation domain.
• Lead the development and automation of unit, integration, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop tests.
• Establish and manage configuration control processes and simulation baselines.
• Support program‑level reviews, providing simulation performance data and validation evidence.
• Drive adoption of modern Dev Ops, CI/CD, and containerization strategies to streamline simulation deployment and reproducibility.

The ideal candidate for the role of Simulation and Modeling Software Developer will be encouraged to take initiative in developing, maintaining, and improving simulation models, tools, and infrastructure. The position is multidisciplinary in nature as the simulation supports a number of internal and external customers which requires regular collaboration with other subsystem engineers for model development and technical support for simulation environments (HWIL simulations, FDIR testing, operations training, etc).

• B.S. in Physics, Aerospace, Computer Science, or related Engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in simulation software development, including 3+ years in a technical leadership capacity.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and object‑oriented software design.
• Proven ability to design and lead large‑scale software projects through the full lifecycle—from concept through test and delivery.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of interfacing across disciplines and presenting to technical and program leadership.
• Organized, methodical, and detail‑oriented approach to testing and quality assurance.
• Ability to operate in a fast‑paced, mission‑critical environment.
• A passion for spaceflight and advanced simulation technologies.

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Physics, Computer Science, or an Engineering discipline.
• Experience with High Level Architecture (HLA)
• Experience with xUnit‑compliant testing frameworks and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with Docker or containerized development environments.
• Background in Agile/Scrum software development.
• Familiarity with spacecraft GNC, propulsion, or avionics systems.

US EEO Statement:
Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin,, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Location:

Houston, TX. Salary ranges: $60,000.00-$70,000.00 (2024 estimate).