Factory Simulation Engineer, Special Projects

About the role

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts. We’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts. Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond. The Role: Join Hadrian’s Special Projects division as a key technical contributor at the forefront of advanced manufacturing. Reporting into the special projects team, you will operate as a distributed asset across our factory network, working alongside leadership, automation, factory development engineering, and operations teams. This foundational role is centered on the design, development, and deployment of precision tooling and simulation systems that support scalable, high-performance manufacturing for large parts and assemblies. Your work will help shape the capabilities of our future factories through hands-on technical execution and cross-functional collaboration. What You’ll Do: Develop and refine low-, mid-, and high-fidelity simulations that align with factory build and optimization goals. Convert ambiguous layout concepts into executable DES and 3D simulations. Collaborate with engineering, operations, and leadership to deliver data-driven, actionable simulation insights. Maintain and enhance the simulation toolchain to support long-term scalability and usability. Create and manage a robust library of parametric and reusable simulation assets. What We’re Looking For: Strong systems thinking with a balance between rapid prototyping and sustainable platform design. Demonstrated experience in simulation development using Python (OOP) and Visual Components or similar tools. Ability to distill technical results into clear insights for both technical and non-technical audiences. Self-driven, capable of taking initiatives from concept to functional MVP with measurable impact. Familiarity with kinematics, PLC interfaces, and discrete event simulation methodologies. What Will Set You Apart: Ability to rapidly build prototypes while thoughtfully managing long-term codebase health. Excellent cross-functional communication, with a talent for user-focused storytelling and iterative design. Broad technical skill set, including debugging, plugin development (Python/C#), and data modeling. Background in industrial engineering principles, including line balancing and ROI analysis. Proficiency with Visual Components, CAD platforms (SolidWorks, NX), Siemens TeamCenter, and automated parametric asset creation. Compensation For this role, the target salary range is 160k-90k (actual range may vary based on experience). This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. Benefits Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees 401k Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need. Flexible vacation policy ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government space 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. Learn more about the ITAR here . Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.