Control Systems Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

5h•Onsite

About The Position

Are you interested in working on our nation’s most advanced hypersonic and ballistic missile systems? Do you want to be a part of a highly motivated team of GN&C subject matter experts that respond to our sponsor's most critical and impactful missile system challenges? If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL. We are seeking an experienced GN&C engineer with expertise in feedback control systems to design, model, and evaluate missile systems. These weapon systems come with an enormous GN&C challenge: They fly VERY fast, with short time-constant nonlinear dynamics through an atmosphere with many disturbances. Our sponsors look to our team to be independent GN&C subject matter experts in support of multiple ballistic and hypersonic weapon systems. As part of this role, we independently evaluate real flight test performance of existing systems and influence the designs and capabilities of next generation systems. This is a critical role to ensure these systems meet both existing and future warfighter needs, and we need your help to do it! As a Control Systems Engineer at APL, you will conduct autopilot and control trade studies, designs, and analyses for next generation missile systems, including algorithm design, performance prediction and assessment against sponsor objectives, using fidelity (e.g. physics-based) and low fidelity (e.g. parameterized) system models. Provided technical leadership to teams of varying size and mentor junior staff to ensure that our team maintains deep knowledge across classical, modern, and advanced feedback control design for missile systems. Present work to a broad internal audience as well as sponsors and external organizations at working groups, post-flight briefings, and program reviews.

Requirements

Have a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering,or Physics (or closely related technical field).
Have at least 5 years work experience in strategic weapon systems, including hypersonic or ballistic missile systems
Have demonstrated experience in and design and analysis of autopilot, classical, and modern control systems, using linear and nonlinear flight dynamics models.
Have an interest and willingness to work on nuclear and hypersonic missile systems
Have conducted analysis and development using MATLAB, Simulink, and C++.
Have a strong sense of curiosity to understand how and why a system works and the ambition to follow up on that curiosity.
Have strong communication and interpersonal skills, and are skilled at developing relationships across diverse teams.
Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Secret level 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

Have a PhD and/or relevant work experience in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or closely related technical field.
Have at 10 years or more work experience in strategic weapon systems, including hypersonic or ballistic missile systems
Have demonstrated succesful technical leadership of a team
Have experience and interest in related fields such as guidance and navigation systems, or 6 degree-of-freedom modeling and simulation.
Currently hold an active Secret or higher level clearance.

Responsibilities

Conduct autopilot and control trade studies, designs, and analyses for next generation missile systems, including algorithm design, performance prediction and assessment against sponsor objectives, using fidelity (e.g. physics-based) and low fidelity (e.g. parameterized) system models.
Provided technical leadership to teams of varying size and mentor junior staff to ensure that our team maintains deep knowledge across classical, modern, and advanced feedback control design for missile systems.
Present work to a broad internal audience as well as sponsors and external organizations at working groups, post-flight briefings, and program reviews.