The weaponization of AI is driving a paradigm shift in the cyber security industry from proactive to preemptive security: clients must now invest more intelligence and effort in understanding their vulnerabilities before their adversaries do (Open AI). The only way to achieve this is to simulate future attack scenarios at scale, and to run them in high fidelity digital replicas of production environments (Gartner/Forrester). SimSpace serves as the AI Proving Grounds to generate hypersynthetic data which pressure tests controls, tools, teams, and agentic capabilities in full kill chain attacks hidden in realistic environmental traffic and patterns of life.
Founded in 2015 by experts from U.S. Cyber Command and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the platform was initially conceived to assist in Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO), to quickly replicate target environments to conduct mission rehearsal of human operators and their tools to deny (disrupt, degrade, destroy) or deceive (manipulate or exfiltrate data) adversaries. The company has since expanded to serve over a dozen allied governments in OCO/DCO as well as critical infrastructure enterprises around the world. The company is actively investing in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East through direct sales and channel partners. SimSpace has launched the AI Proving Grounds Consortium, leading the revolution by creating an open platform for the InfoSec ecosystem to train, validate and operationalize their agentic capabilities before committing to production.
Why join SimSpace?
We are a team united by a shared purpose and four core values: Serve to Protect, Acquire Understanding, Teamwork without Borders, and Operate as Innovators. We value candid, constructive feedback and create opportunities for personal, professional, and financial growth. Our vision, “Defend the Free World,” drives our mission: “Defeat Any Adversary in Any Cyber Terrain at Machine Speed.”
How Do We Work?
We listen to customers and colleagues, challenge assumptions, and turn ideas into meaningful results. We expect everyone to embrace emerging technologies, simplify and automate work, and use AI to learn, solve problems, and help deliver quality with speed. We apply human judgment and take responsibility for outcomes. Whether remote or office-based, we collaborate across teams and time zones.
We invite you to apply today!
JOB SUMMARY
You will build and lead a fullstack team, with an emphasis on backend engineering, for AI Proving Grounds (AIPG). The team builds user and attack emulation workflows that customers can configure, observe and repeat across applications and execution environments.
You will lead as a hands-on player-coach, regularly implementing and debugging software, tests and automation with the team. You also own hiring, development, capacity and workflow delivery. The Staff Engineer leads design and integration across features; you coach engineers to take ownership.
MCO delivers the integrated workflow. AIPG DEN provides user-emulation capabilities, Scenario Development provides adversary content, and range and platform teams retain their shared services. For example, MCO might connect a simulated employee's application actions to verified results and recovery. Agree responsibilities and partner capacity before committing to work that spans teams.
WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING AT SIMSPACE?
- Agree with the Director which roles to hire first, how to onboard them and where interim technical support will come from. Build the new team around fullstack engineers with strong backend skills.
- Define a useful workflow with Product and partner teams. State what MCO will deliver, what it excludes, which interfaces it uses, how success will be verified and who receives the result.
- Lead work from configuration through execution, verified effects, diagnosis and recovery. Agree changes to shared components with the teams that own them.
- Review architecture and code with the Staff Engineer. Write focused changes and investigate difficult failures while helping engineers take ownership of features.
- Establish integration tests that verify identities, intended effects, compatibility and cleanup. Improve repeatability with tested automation and reviewed AI-assisted development.
- Coach engineers through feedback and career development. Include support, maintenance and dependencies in the plan, and explain which work moves when priorities or capacity change.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
The Director and Product will agree initial priorities and timing with you, based on staffing and partner commitments.
- A workflow plan states MCO's deliverable, partner commitments, technical boundaries, hiring priorities and interim coverage.
- A user or attack emulation workflow runs from configuration to verified effects, with diagnosis and recovery when execution fails.
- The team can repeat delivery using automated tests, useful diagnostics and clear release and support responsibilities.
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO APPLY?
- Experience managing and developing software engineers through hiring, onboarding, coaching, feedback and delivery accountability.
- Evidence of building or expanding an engineering team or capability, with technical ownership shared across the team.
- Production fullstack experience with strong backend engineering, recent personal implementation of software, tests or automation, and diagnosis across service boundaries.
- Experience delivering workflows that connect applications, APIs and execution systems, working with frontend and environment specialists.
- Practical understanding of asynchronous state, permissions, compatibility, automated testing, observability and recovery from partial failures.
- Experience turning unclear requests into agreed scope, coordinating work across independently owned systems and preparing the result for operational handover.
WHO YOU ARE
- You delegate meaningful decisions, give direct feedback and help engineers work independently.
- You resolve ownership and priority conflicts openly and judge progress by usable workflows and reliable operation.
NICE TO HAVE BUT NOT REQUIRED
- Experience with cybersecurity, simulation, user automation or agent workflows.
- Experience with Windows or Linux, browser or desktop integration, or virtualized execution.
- Experience with Go, Python or modern frontend development. You can develop adjacent runtime and infrastructure skills with specialists.
OUR TECH STACK INCLUDES
The work spans Go and Python services, application APIs, browser and execution integrations, containers and automated tests. Fullstack experience and strong backend engineering are central to the role.
WE’RE PROUD TO OFFER A COMPETITIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT YOUR WELL-BEING, GROWTH, AND SUCCESS:
- Compensation. Base salary range: $160,000 - $220,000, reflecting our confidence in your expertise and impact, with the opportunity for annual bonuses tied to company performance and individual contributions.
- Health & Wellness. Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, plus savings plans - coverage starts on day one!
- Mental Health Support. Access to company-paid counseling, coaching, and resources for you and your family through Spring Health.
- Financial Well-Being. Plan for your future with a 401(k)-retirement savings plan featuring a company match.
- Flexible Time Off. Take the time you need with unlimited vacation and dedicated health & wellness days. SimSpace provides flexible solutions to meet the diverse work-life needs of team members.
- 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.
- Referral Rewards: Earn $1,500–$3,500 for every qualified hire through our employee referral program.
- Peloton Interactive Wellness Program: Full- and partial- subsidized membership plans and equipment discounts to help you reach your personalized fitness goals.
- 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.
- Extra Perks: Legal plan coverage, pet insurance, wellness reimbursements, and more to simplify life’s details.
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.
SimSpace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. 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. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. 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.
