Modelling and Simulation Lead

Lead Defence Autonomy

Lead the Future of Defence Autonomy and Simulation
An exciting opportunity exists for a Modelling & Simulation Lead to join a rapidly growing Defence technology organisation developing next-generation autonomous systems.Working as part of a highly skilled multidisciplinary engineering team, you will lead the growth and development of a Modelling & Simulation capability supporting mission autonomy programmes, uncrewed aircraft and advanced autonomous technologies. This is a rare opportunity to shape both the technical direction and future capability of a growing engineering function while remaining hands-on with complex technical challenges.This role would suit experienced engineering leaders who enjoy solving difficult technical problems, mentoring engineers and building high-performance teams, while remaining actively involved in software development, integration and simulation delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and growth of a Modelling & Simulation capability supporting autonomous systems programmes.
• Architect and develop distributed real-time simulation environments used for autonomy development, testing and verification.
• Remain hands-on with complex technical problems, software development and simulation integration activities.
• Mentor and develop engineers while fostering a high-performance engineering culture.
• Drive simulation architecture, system design and technical decision-making across multiple projects.
• Develop and integrate C++ software supporting modelling, simulation and test activities.
• Collaborate closely with autonomy, software, systems and test engineers to deliver integrated solutions.
• Support hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop development environments.
• Champion engineering best practice, CI/CD, automation and modern software development methodologies.
• Contribute to strategic technical planning, capability development and future technology direction. 

What You'll Need To Succeed

• Degree qualified in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mechatronics or a related discipline.
• Strong software engineering background with modern C++ development experience.
• Experience developing or integrating simulation systems within Defence, aerospace, robotics, autonomy or related industries.
• Experience leading teams through technically complex engineering challenges.
• Strong systems integration and software architecture capability.
• Experience working with real-time, distributed simulation environments.
• Experience with Python and Linux development environments.
• Strong communication, mentoring and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance technical leadership with hands-on engineering delivery.
• Australian Citizenship and ability to obtain a Defence Security Clearance.

Highly Desirable

• Defence industry experience.
• Experience with autonomous systems, robotics or uncrewed platforms.
• Experience with AFSIM, NGTS or similar Defence simulation frameworks.
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) or Software-in-the-loop (SWIL) environments.
• Docker, Kubernetes or containerised deployment environments.
• Experience leading capability growth and developing engineering talent.

What You'll Get In Return

• Opportunity to lead and shape a growing Modelling & Simulation function.
• Work on cutting-edge autonomous systems and mission autonomy technologies.
• Highly technical, hands-on engineering environment.
• Greenfield development rather than sustainment-focused programs.
• Collaborative team culture with strong technical leadership.
• Long-term career growth and leadership opportunities.
• Melbourne-based position supporting major Defence capability programs.

If you're a technically strong engineering leader who enjoys solving difficult problems, developing engineers and building new capabilities while staying close to the technology, we'd love to hear from you.
Click apply now or send your CV to lauryn.reddick@hays.com.au#3014561