2027 PhD Graduate – Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Research Scientist

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Artificial Intelligence Group at JHU/APL is seeking new PhD graduates to contribute to their research programs. These programs focus on foundational advances with cross-mission impact, including improving AI agent alignment for human-machine teaming and wargaming, training multimodal foundation models on language and sensor data, developing intelligent robots with agentic AI, assessing and mitigating vulnerabilities of frontier models, and conducting mission-driven test and evaluation of novel research. The role offers opportunities for early-career researchers to make significant contributions to current research, grow into thought leadership roles, propose their own ideas for internal funding, and develop externally-funded projects. The group encourages publication of work and engagement with the broader research ecosystem.

Requirements

PhD or equivalent degree with dissertation work in fundamental AI research.
Strong record of peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals and/or conferences.
Proficient in Python programming with experience using PyTorch and/or Jax.
Experience using Hugging Face libraries (transformers, diffusers, datasets, tokenizers, etc.).
Able to acquire an Interim Secret level security clearance by the start date.
Able to acquire a final Top Secret level clearance.
Subject to a government security clearance investigation.
Must meet the requirements for access to classified information.
U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Research experience in measuring and increasing alignment between humans and AI agents.
Research experience in novel techniques for training and/or fine-tuning foundation models.
Research experience in models or agents for robotic control and problem-solving.
Research experience in adversarial and/or natural robustness of computer vision and autonomy.
Research experience in neural rendering techniques for 3D scene reconstruction.

Responsibilities

Make important contributions to current research in AI/ML.
Grow into a thought leadership role for the Laboratory.
Propose ideas for internal seedling funding.
Develop externally-funded projects with Program Managers.
Publish work and engage with the broader research ecosystem.
Improve alignment of AI agents used in human-machine teaming and wargaming.
Train multimodal foundation models on language and sensor data.
Develop intelligent robots that use agentic AI to perform complex tasks in a self-directed way.
Assess, mitigate, and exploit vulnerabilities of frontier models.
Conduct mission-driven test and evaluation (T&E) of novel research.