---
title: 'Applied Scientist at Improbable 2'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/applied-scientist-improbable-2-arlington-xz900z8rxeyr'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-14'
---

# Applied Scientist at Improbable 2

- **Company:** Improbable 2
- **Location:** Arlington, VA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2022-09-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-14
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/improbable-2/0a7e87f3-d3ed-45a1-9c05-330797824b46

## Job description

Join Improbable U.S. Defense & National Security and you will help users leverage our synthetic environment development platform to plan and train for the most complex security threats in the world. Working along experts in AI, Machine Learning, computational modeling, and distributed systems, you will put multiplayer gaming technology to life-saving use.

Our mission? To enable the most realistic and effective virtual worlds ever experienced. Our team in Arlington, VA, and across several other locations in the US, is focused on applying our technology to solve real-world Defense and National Security problems.

At Improbable, you will be surrounded by people who want to improve everything and everyone around them, and who compel you to improve yourself. We’re motivated by the fulfillment of solving hard problems to achieve something profound and transformative.

Our applied scientists are solution focused, collaborating in diverse technical teams to design, build, deploy, and evaluate complex models and simulations that help solve a variety of real-world problems. Your work could entail anything from the creation of realistic synthetic entities and environments to modeling real world systems.

Areas for Impact

- Bring together best in class models to build and iterate on the most appropriate application of Modeling & Simulation.
- Iteratively design and prototype models of real-world systems that enable our customers to interrogate the past, understand the present, and predict the future.
- Collaborate with engineers to implement high performance models in production environments.
- Work closely with Improbable's product team to enhance our foundational technology platform.
- Critically assess the type and quality of customer or open-source data and define modeling assumptions and capture uncertainty.
- Take ownership of ensuring and demonstrating the reliability of the models that we create.
- Work closely with our technology customers to understand their problems and develop use cases for Improbable technology.

Additionally, you will drive thought leadership within the company and help our clients understand their needs and design their model and simulation strategies. This involves keeping up to date with a diverse body of cutting-edge research, designing and prototyping new technical approaches, and rapidly developing expertise in new subject areas to support new bids and projects.

We'd like to hear from you if you identify with any of the following

- Strong background and experience in delivery of technical, data-rich projects ideally for external clients.
- Degree in a scientific, engineering, or mathematical field, ideally with a computational element.
- Demonstrated knowledge in a statistical modeling and analysis.
- Demonstrated experience with agent-based modeling, micro-simulation, computational social science, or modeling socio-technical systems.
- Experience using game engines such as Unity and Unreal.
- Pragmatic coding ability - with fluency in at least one relevant programming language and the openness to learn and adapt to a variety of languages. We use Python, R, Java, C, C++, and many related tools and libraries.
- Breaking down problem requirements, selecting effective analytical methods, and developing defensible solutions.
- Probabilistic programming. You can see our early open-sourced work [here](https://github.com/improbable-research/keanu).
- Working with real, complex data, including geospatial data.
- Effectively communicating with clients in person, in writing, and with visualization.

While we think the above experience could be important, we’re keen to hear from people that believe they have valuable experience to bring to the role. If you identify with the team and mission, but not all of our requirements, then please still apply!

## About Improbable 2

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Improbable is a venture builder and technology company that creates large-scale virtual worlds, simulation platforms, and synthetic environments for gaming, defense, and the metaverse; its U.S. Defense & National Security division (sometimes referred to as “Improbable 2”) applies these capabilities to solve complex real-world security challenges.
- **Entity Type**: Private (over $854M total funding, 7 rounds)
- **Headquarters**: London, England, United Kingdom (primary) / Arlington, Virginia, United States (U.S. Defense & National Security hub)
- **Founded**: 2012
- **Founders**: Herman Narula, Peter Lipka, Rob Whitehead

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Software development, simulation & modeling, defense technology, metaverse infrastructure, AI, Web3
- **Target customers**: B2B – enterprise and government clients, especially defense and national security agencies; also gaming studios and metaverse ventures
- **Mission statement**: “To enable the most realistic and effective virtual worlds ever experienced.”

## Products & Services
- **SpatialOS**: A platform for building and running massive, persistent virtual worlds (used in gaming and simulation).
- **Morpheus**: Technology that powers record-setting live multiplayer experiences (e.g., ScavLab with 4,000+ players, metaverse concerts).
- **M**: A product for creating synthetic environments and decision-support simulations.
- **Synthetic Environment Development Platform**: The core offering for U.S. Defense & National Security – used to plan, train, and simulate complex security threats by combining AI, ML, computational modeling, and distributed systems.
- **Venture Builder Services**: Improbable incubates and spins out ventures in AI, Web3, and the metaverse, providing capital, expertise, and hands-on support.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue (parent company): GBP 579.9K (latest available data) – note: this figure may be outdated or reflect only a portion of the business; total funding: **$854M** (7 rounds, including $502M led by SoftBank in 2017)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Andreessen Horowitz, SoftBank, Horizons Ventures, Temasek
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew 109.4% YoY (currently ~87 employees, distributed across 11 countries)
  - 17 ventures created, including 7 exits
  - Active expansion of U.S. Defense & National Security team (multiple open roles for Applied Scientists, Model Engineers, Software Engineers)
  - Proven record of delivering large-scale live simulations (4,000+ player events)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep technical moat** in multiplayer networking, distributed simulation, and agent-based modeling, originally developed for gaming and now applied to defense.
- **First-mover credibility** in the intersection of gaming technology and national security.
- **Strong investor backing** and relationships with both commercial and government clients.
- **Proprietary platforms** (SpatialOS, Morpheus, M) that are difficult to replicate and offer unique scalability.

## Strategic Focus
- **Venture building**: Incubating and scaling autonomous companies in AI, Web3, and the metaverse.
- **Defense & national security**: Applying synthetic environment technology to help clients “interrogate the past, understand the present, and predict the future.”
- **Technology modernization**: Moving from a pure technology provider to a venture builder model, spinning out successful internal teams.

## Why Work Here
- **Impactful mission**: Work on technology that directly supports national security and complex decision-making – “put multiplayer gaming technology to life-saving use.”
- **Cutting-edge tech stack**: Work with Python, R, Java, C++, C#, Unity, Unreal, and probabilistic programming in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.
- **Collaborative culture**: Teams of engineers and applied scientists work closely with customers and product teams; emphasis on autonomy, thought leadership, and continuous learning.
- **Growth opportunity**: Rapidly growing U.S. Defense team (roles in Arlington, VA and other U.S. locations) with room to shape the direction of modeling and simulation.
- **Work model**: Not explicitly stated, but roles appear to be on-site/hybrid in Arlington, VA; parent company has offices in London, Greater London, and multiple international locations.

## Sources
1. [Improbable – About Us](https://www.improbable.io/about-us)
2. [Improbable – LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/improbable)
3. [Improbable LLC – Applied Scientist Job Description](https://jobs.lever.co/improbable-2/0a7e87f3-d3ed-45a1-9c05-330797824b46)
4. [Improbable LLC – Model Engineer Job Description](https://jobs.lever.co/improbable-2/0a20c258-2a51-4e64-adaf-e887dfb07e69)
5. [Improbable LLC – Frontend Software Engineer Job Description](https://jobs.lever.co/improbable-2/01105706-e9fc-413c-bfbb-11ccd011fc65)

## Other roles at Improbable 2

- [Model Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/model-engineer-improbable-2-arlington-9zywg5sy33dx) — Arlington, VA
- [Security and Compliance Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/security-and-compliance-lead-improbable-2-arlington-jtajvt9x62z5) — Arlington, VA
- [Frontend Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/frontend-software-engineer-improbable-2-arlington-my4r310vg6mv) — Arlington, VA
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