Software Engineer - Simulation, Game Engine & World Systems (Autonomy)
$60k - $300k • Ann Arbor • FullTime
Posted 17d ago
About the job
Applied Intuition is seeking a talented Engineer to design and develop the world representation layer for their Axion simulation stack. This is a deeply technical role focused on computational geometry, real-time world modeling, and large-scale simulation. You will join a new team building foundational scene and mapping systems that are critical for downstream sensor fusion and path planning. The ideal candidate will have experience building spatial worlds for games, simulations, or autonomous systems, with a strong understanding of how to make these representations fast, accurate, and scalable under real operational constraints.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement core spatial data structures, including Entity Component System frameworks, spatial indexing, occupancy representations, and 4D object management for large-scale multi-agent environments.
- Build and optimize computational geometry and world-state systems, including coordinate frame management, spatial queries, and environment abstraction layers.
- Write highly optimized C++ (C++20) code with a focus on low-latency, cache-efficient, and memory-conscious design, including profiling and performance optimization.
- Participate in driving architectural decisions and design clean APIs for cross-domain integration across air, ground, and maritime autonomy stacks.
Requirements
- 2+ years of professional software engineering experience with deep expertise in spatial systems, world modeling, or simulation environments.
- Expert-level C++ skills (C++20 or later), including template metaprogramming, move semantics, SIMD, and performance optimization.
- Hands-on experience building world or scene representations from game engines, sim platforms, or autonomous systems.
- Strong background in computational geometry, including coordinate transformations, spatial data structures (BVH, octrees, k-d trees), geometric algorithms, and collision/proximity systems.
- Deep intuition for low-latency, high-throughput software design in real-time environments.
- Strong proficiency in Python and shell scripting for tooling and automation.
- Experience with agentic coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot) and AI-assisted development workflows.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
Benefits
- Base salary
- Equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units
- Comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage
- 401k retirement benefits with employer match
- Learning and wellness stipends
- Paid time off