Assistant Group Supervisor - Artificial Intelligence Research

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory • Laurel, MD

71d • $102,500 - $290,000

About The Position

Are you a thought leader in AI with a burning desire to serve a bigger purpose? Are you excited by the challenge of leading and mentoring researchers while continuing to push the boundaries of AI yourself? Do you want your work to address the pressing challenges facing our nation's security and prosperity? If so, we're looking for someone like you to be the Assistant Group Supervisor for the Artificial Intelligence Group at JHU/APL! Our team works at the intersection of AI research and national defense, tackling problems that few other institutions are trusted to solve. Our current priorities include: Improving alignment of AI agents used in human-machine teaming and wargaming, Training multimodal foundation models on language and sensor data, Intelligent robots that use agentic AI to perform complex tasks in a self-directed way, Assessing, mitigating, and exploiting vulnerabilities of frontier models, Mission-driven test and evaluation (T&E) of novel research. As Assistant Group Supervisor, you will be both a hands-on researcher and a leader of exceptional people. You'll advance research in your own area of expertise - publishing and presenting your work, and partnering with sponsors to bring new ideas into practice. At the same time, you'll help grow the next generation of technical leaders by mentoring front-line supervisors, fostering a collaborative research culture, and ensuring our staff have the resources and support they need to thrive. This dual responsibility makes the role ideal for someone who wants to grow as a leader while remaining deeply engaged in technical work. You'll work with the Group Supervisor and Chief Scientist to shape APL's AI strategy, guide proposals to sponsors, and cultivate future leaders who are visionary, inspirational, courageous, impactful, and resilient. Most importantly, you'll play a vital role in bridging cutting-edge AI with mission-critical problems - advancing the state of the art while making a meaningful difference for national security. This is challenging work, and we value leaders who set high standards for themselves and others, while fostering a culture that enables people to sustain that effort and thrive over the long term.

Requirements

• PhD in a field related to AI.
• 10+ years of experience in AI research, engineering, or test and evaluation (T&E).
• Proficient in Python programming with experience using PyTorch and/or Jax.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals and/or conferences.
• Demonstrated skills in leadership, organization, and planning.
• Ability to obtain an Interim Top Secret level security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Held a formal technical supervision or line management role.
• Worked in government labs, research agencies, or frontier AI companies.
• Track record of building impactful collaborations across academia, government, or industry.
• Already hold a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor researchers in the AI Group.
• Advance research in your area of expertise.
• Publish and present research work.
• Partner with sponsors to bring new ideas into practice.
• Mentor front-line supervisors and foster a collaborative research culture.
• Ensure staff have the resources and support they need to thrive.
• Shape APL's AI strategy with the Group Supervisor and Chief Scientist.
• Guide proposals to sponsors.
• Cultivate future leaders in the organization.

Benefits

• Robust education assistance program.
• Unparalleled retirement contributions.
• Healthy work/life balance.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Training and development opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees