Software Engineer - Simulation & Robotics Engineer

Areas of Responsibility

• 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.

What You’ll Do

• 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.

Qualifications

• 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).

Bonus Experience

• Robotics, simulation, game engines, or real-time systems.
• Physics engines, sensor modeling, or hardware abstraction layers.
• Multithreaded or low-latency system design.
• Experience debugging systems that span software and physical behavior.

Compensation

At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to e