Tactical Modeling & Simulation Engineer
Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.
The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.
As a Tactical Modeling & Simulation Engineer at Swarm Aero, you will design, simulate, and analyze combat scenarios for autonomous swarm aircraft operating in contested environments. You will model adversarial tactics, threat responses, and mission outcomes. Your work directly influences how swarms make tactical decisions, adapt to enemy action, and achieve mission success in realistic combat scenarios.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and execute tactical war games and combat scenario simulations for swarm operations
- Model adversarial behaviors, threat environments, and contested battlespace conditions (EW, jamming, kinetic threats)
- Develop swarm decision-making algorithms for tactical behaviors: target prioritization, collaborative attack, threat evasion, mission re-planning
- Perform Monte Carlo analysis of mission outcomes across varying threat scenarios and operational conditions
- Translate operational requirements from military stakeholders into testable mission scenarios and performance metrics
- Work directly with mission planners and defense customers to validate tactical models against real-world doctrine
- Present war gaming results, tactical trade-offs, and mission effectiveness analysis to military partners and executives
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Operations Research, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field
- Ability to obtain a security clearance
- 5+ years developing mission-level simulations, war games, or tactical analysis in defense/aerospace
- Hands-on experience with multi-agent tactical systems, autonomy behaviors, or distributed decision-making under uncertainty
- Fluency in Python (SciPy/NumPy) and C++ or Rust for simulation and algorithm development
- Ability to communicate tactical trade-offs and mission results to military and non-technical stakeholders
- Ability to have a regular on-site presence at our Washington, D.C. office for in-person collaboration and meetings.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in Operations Research, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or Applied Mathematics
- Active TS/SCI security clearance
- Military experience in mission planning, tactical operations, or red team/war gaming
- Experience with defense simulation tools: AFSIM, OneSAF, JSAF, JWARS, STK, SIMDIS, or custom combat modeling frameworks
- Background modeling contested communications, electronic warfare (EW/EMCON), C2 degradation, or adversarial tactics
- Experience with reinforcement learning, game theory, or adversarial AI in tactical contexts
- Familiarity with military doctrine, kill chain analysis, or operational planning processes
What We Offer:
- Meaningful equity stake in a high-growth defense technology company
- Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
- Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k)
- PTO and paid sick time
- Monthly Wellness Stipend
- Daily catered lunch to office
- Paid parental leave
- Flexible work arrangement - remote/hybrid with regular collaboration in D.C.
- Direct impact opportunity - be a key leader in building a critical technology for national security
- World-class team - work alongside exceptional engineers and operators solving hard problems
As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and trustworthy work environment, Swarm Aero conducts a thorough screening of prospective employees. Candidates will be subject to a comprehensive background verification process as a prerequisite for employment.
To conform to U.S. Government controlled technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.