Software Engineer; Simulation & Robotics Engineer

Requirements

• Prior robotics experience is not required, but curiosity about physical systems and an interest in autonomous robots is essential
• Strong software engineering experience with C++ and Python
• Experience building complex systems where performance, determinism, or correctness matter
• Comfort reasoning about time-synchronized systems, state machines, or real-time execution
• Ability to work in a large, evolving codebase with multiple stakeholders
• Interest in robotics, simulation, or physical systems (prior robotics experience is a plus, not a requirement)
• (Desirable) Robotics, simulation, game engines, or real-time systems
• (Desirable) Physics engines, sensor modeling, or hardware abstraction layers
• (Desirable) Multithreaded or low-latency system design
• (Desirable) Experience debugging systems that span software and physical behavior

• We are looking for a software engineer to build and evolve the core of the Skydio Simulator — a high-fidelity, real-time digital replica of the physical world used both by customers and by Skydio’s autonomy engineers every day
• In this role, you will work deep in the simulator stack: from physics and sensor simulation, to hardware emulation, to the core architecture that runs our full autonomy software in simulation
• You will help define how simulated worlds behave, how vehicles perceive and interact with them, and how closely simulation mirrors reality
• This is a systems-heavy role focused on correctness, performance, and realism
• Core Simulator Architecture:
  Design, implement, and evolve the foundational architecture of the Skydio Simulator, ensuring it scales across vehicle types, environments, and use cases
• Physics and Dynamics:
  Improve and extend physics models governing vehicle motion, interactions with the environment, and dynamic agents
• Sensor and Hardware Simulation:
  Build high-fidelity simulations of cameras, IMUs, and other onboard components, including timing, noise characteristics, and hardware behavior
• Autonomy Stack Integration:
  Run and validate the full Skydio autonomy stack in simulation, ensuring consistency between simulated and real-world behavior
• Feature Development on Top of the Core:
  Implement simulator capabilities that unlock new workflows for customers and internal autonomy engineers, from training scenarios to advanced testing modes
• Performance and Fidelity:
  Profile, optimize, and improve simulator performance while continuously pushing realism and accuracy
• Develop core simulator components in C++ and Python, working close to real-time constraints
• Collaborate with autonomy, perception, and controls engineers to align simulation behavior with real-world systems
• Debug complex interactions between physics, sensors, autonomy logic, and rendering
• Help shape the long-term technical direction of the simulator as both a product and an internal platform
• Contribute to documentation and shared understanding of how the simulator works internally