Senior Software Engineer, Cyber Range

Job Description

SimSpace serves as an AI Proving Ground where organizations can confidently train, test, and outmaneuver adversaries in any environment. Trusted by allied governments, militaries, enterprises, and research institutions worldwide, SimSpace enables adaptive, AI-ready defenses that stay ahead of evolving threats. Founded in 2015 by experts from U.S. Cyber Command and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the platform unifies training, testing, and validation in a realistic, live-fire simulation—helping teams evaluate security investments, optimize performance, and compress cyber readiness cycles from months to days.

Why join SimSpace? We are an organization that is focused on building our culture and mindfully enhancing our atmosphere every day which is why we have collaborated on an integral value system. Our governing philosophy of being Human Centered is deeply embedded within our value system. We apply this philosophy to every one of our internal team members, external clients, and their customers.

How Do We Work? We believe that people are at the center of everything we do. SimSpace fosters a culture of continuous learning, curiosity, and professional growth. That belief shows up in action: in-house training, internal and external learning platforms, cyber conferences, industry events, and dedicated time for skill development. Our people are empowered to shape their careers - and it shows. Year over year, SimSpace consistently outperforms industry benchmarks in internal mobility, promotions, and total rewards growth.

Who Thrives Here? We are a team of innovators, protectors, and problem-solvers. We believe diversity of thought and experience fuels better solutions, and we’re committed to building teams that reflect the communities we serve. Whether you’re remote or office-based, you’ll collaborate with talented colleagues across departments and time zones, united by the mission to create a safer digital world.

We invite you to apply today!

As a Senior Software Engineer on our Range Operations Team, you will provide deep expertise in microservices, event-driven messaging systems, and containerization to architect the next generation of high-fidelity simulation. You are a technically fearless developer who thrives on solving hard problems in new ways.

In this role, you will go beyond maintaining infrastructure—you will invent it. You will lead the development of bespoke, hybrid solutions that generate realistic simulated traffic across a complex ecosystem—from IoT systems and local software to modern SaaS platforms and cloud-native environments. By leveraging AI, LLM, and advanced API capabilities, you will drive technical innovations that simulate real-life cyber attacks and human-user personas with unprecedented realism and cutting edge technologies. You will act as a force multiplier for the team, guiding best coding practices and system architecture to ensure our engineering standards remain exemplary.

What will you be doing:

• Bespoke Development & AI Integration: Design and build custom tooling, scripts, and applications that leverage AI and LLMs to generate realistic simulated traffic to SaaS providers, cloud platforms, and enterprise endpoints.
• Core Service Engineering: Design, develop, and maintain core services for cybersecurity range simulation, focusing on scalability, performance, and fault tolerance.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Lead end-to-end technical projects and mentor engineers on the team, promoting a collaborative culture and guiding them in architectural design.
• Infrastructure & Emulation: Create emulated cloud services and synthetic data pipelines, ensuring environments behave realistically under both attacker and defender activity.
• Quality & Observability: Conduct code reviews and implement robust monitoring and alerting strategies to maintain high uptime and adherence to company standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Product Managers, UX Designers, and content developers to translate ambitious training requirements into technically sound, user-centered solutions.
• Technical Excellence: Develop and maintain thorough documentation for system design, technical architecture, and troubleshooting guides to ensure knowledge sharing.

What are the qualifications to apply?

To be successful in this role, you need to have:

• Experience: 6+ years of hands-on experience in software development with a strong focus on building large-scale, distributed systems.
• Language Proficiency: Expertise in an OOP-based language such as Java, Kotlin, or Python, with a demonstrable understanding of API design (HTTP/S, REST, OAuth, SAML).
• AI & LLM Capability: Proficiency in leveraging AI, LLM, and API capabilities to solve complex automation and simulation challenges.
• Containerization & Orchestration: Proven experience with unit/integration testing and deploying services in Kubernetes or similar container orchestration platforms.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Proficiency with tools including Terraform, Ansible, and puppet to manage virtualized platforms (e.g., VMware).
• Specialized Environments: Experience working within or developing for air-gapped environments.
• Networking Knowledge: Expertise in virtual networking architecture, segmentation (VPCs, subnets), and secure connectivity solutions.

Who you are:

• You feel comfortable leading, driving, and delegating team initiatives.
• You enjoy solving complex problems and building solutions through collaborative methods.
• You are focused on the iterative delivery of high-quality, well-tested code and are pragmatic when it comes to trade-offs.
• You have worked in or tangential to the cybersecurity field and understand both offensive and defensive security.

Our Tech Stack:

• Languages: Python, Java, Kotlin, Golang.
• Frameworks/Platforms: Spring Boot, Kubernetes, Docker, VMware.
• Tools: Terraform, Ansible, Git, AI/LLM APIs.

We're proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive package designed to support your well-being, growth, and success:

• Compensation. Base monthly pay range: 1,500,000 CRC - 2,500,000 CRC reflecting our confidence in your expertise and impact, with the opportunity for annual bonuses tied to company performance and individual contributions.
• Health & Wellness. Private medical, dental, vision, and life benefits.
• Mental Health Support. Access to company-paid counseling, coaching, and resources for you and your family through Spring Health.
• Parental Leave. Paid leave plans to support you and your loved ones during life’s most important moments.
• Ownership Opportunities. Equity stock options at hire, with annual performance-based grants—become an invested stakeholder in our shared success.
• Continuous Learning. Access a LinkedIn Learning membership to prioritize your personal and professional development.
• Social Connections: Monthly reimbursements for meaningful connections with teammates through our SocialSpace Community.

SimSpace is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups only apply to jobs if they meet all of the qualifications. However, no one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. SimSpace encourages you to break that statistic and to apply. We look forward to your application!

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, in accordance with applicable law. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact careers@simspace.com.

SimSpace does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

Actual compensation for the position is based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to affordability, skills, qualifications and experience, and may vary from the range.