2027 Graduate - Engineer/Researcher - Cyber Capabilities Development

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Cyber Warfare Systems Group (QCR) is seeking individuals to apply their technical skills to real-world problems and gain experience with cyber operations. QCR team members apply their skills to offensive security operations and non-kinetic mission defeat. They develop innovative cyber capabilities that support the U.S. military's efforts to execute cyber missions at scale in support of joint operations. The team is built around trust, clarity, growth, and mission impact. Research areas include analysis and targeting, cyber layer modeling, cybersecurity, and human-systems modeling. As a member of the team, you will work on multidisciplinary teams to turn promising technical ideas into mission-relevant capabilities. Depending on your interests, background, and expertise, you may apply technical methods such as vulnerability research, cybersecurity, networking, penetration testing, cryptography, information theory, modeling and simulation, or data science to cyber mission challenges. You will experiment with emerging technologies, including AI-enabled approaches, and critically evaluate their capabilities, limitations, and risks. You will design and develop models, prototypes, software, tools, automation, or other technical capabilities for challenging cyber operations missions. You will investigate systems and technologies to understand their behavior, security properties, vulnerabilities, and potential mission applications. You will test, assess, and refine capabilities in realistic environments as they move from concept toward deployment and operational use. You will partner with government, contractor, and APL teammates across the capability lifecycle.

Requirements

Graduating with or have recently completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, or another engineering or technical field.
Academic, research, internship, personal project, or professional experience in one or more technical areas such as vulnerability research, information theory, information security, cryptography, networking, penetration testing, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, software development, or related fields.
Enjoy creating, experimenting, prototyping, and turning promising ideas into working technical solutions.
Can critically evaluate technical approaches, including AI-enabled technologies, and distinguish demonstrated capability from unsupported claims or assumptions.
Can combine technical depth with curiosity and creative problem solving to tackle problems that may not have an obvious answer.
Can acquire an Interim Top Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately acquire a Top Secret with SCI 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

Demonstrated leadership, initiative, or the ability to bring people together to accomplish challenging goals.
Can effectively communicate technical information, concepts, and ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience with open-source intelligence (OSINT), publicly available information (PAI), commercially available information (CAI), intelligence analysis, targeting, geopolitical analysis, or other mission-focused analytical methods.
Experience applying AI/ML, large language models, or AI agents to automate complex tasks, accelerate research or development, or create new capabilities, and understand the opportunities, limitations, and risks of operationalizing AI in mission-critical environments.
Proficiency in defense-critical foreign languages or experience applying language and cultural expertise to mission problems.
Understand defense and intelligence sponsor operations and processes such as acquisition, sustainment, risk management, or test and evaluation.
An active Secret level clearance or above.

Responsibilities

Apply technical methods such as vulnerability research, cybersecurity, networking, penetration testing, cryptography, information theory, modeling and simulation, or data science to cyber mission challenges.
Experiment with emerging technologies, including AI-enabled approaches, and critically evaluate their capabilities, limitations, and risks.
Design and develop models, prototypes, software, tools, automation, or other technical capabilities for challenging cyber operations missions.
Investigate systems and technologies to understand their behavior, security properties, vulnerabilities, and potential mission applications.
Test, assess, and refine capabilities in realistic environments as they move from concept toward deployment and operational use.
Partner with government, contractor, and APL teammates across the capability lifecycle.