Computer Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

23h•Onsite

About The Position

Are you passionate about providing real, immediate impact to the country’s toughest national security problems? Do you love building and prototyping systems? If so, we’re looking for someone like you to join our team at APL. We are excited to expand our team of Computer Engineers at APL. We are seeking an early-career engineer with a strong foundation in embedded systems and a passion for developing integrated hardware and software solutions. As a member of our team, you will contribute to the design, implementation, testing, and delivery of embedded and computing systems. Your work will support a range of mission and research areas across the Department of Defense (DOD) and Intelligence Community (IC).

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or another field relevant to the duties as described above.
2+ years of relevant experience in embedded systems, firmware, or low-level software development (including internships, co-ops, or research).
Experience programming in C/C++ or similar low-level languages.
Familiarity with microcontrollers, processors, or embedded platforms.
Basic understanding of digital logic and hardware/software interfaces (e.g., SPI, I2C, UART).
Experience with debugging tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or software debuggers.
Basic understanding of real-time systems or digital signal processing concepts.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Ability to work on-site at APL's main campus as well as at commercial and government test sites.
Ability to obtain an Interim Top Secret by start date, and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
Experience with FPGA development or HDL (e.g., VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog).
Experience with embedded Linux or real-time operating systems (RTOS).
Familiarity with computer architecture or performance optimization.
Experience integrating sensors, communications interfaces, or custom hardware.
Exposure to control systems, signal processing, or edge computing concepts.
Demonstrated leadership in team projects, research, or internships.
Active TS/SCI security clearance.

Responsibilities

Contribute to component- and system-level hardware and software design efforts.
Assist in developing system requirements and translating high-level needs into technical specifications.
Design, implement, and test embedded systems, including firmware and hardware/software interfaces.
Develop low-level software for microcontrollers, processors, or embedded platforms.
Support integration of hardware and software components and help troubleshoot system issues.
Develop and execute test plans to evaluate system performance and reliability.
Use lab equipment and debugging tools to validate system behavior.
Document technical work and present results to internal teams and sponsors.
Continuously build technical depth and expand your engineering skillset.