Flight Test Instrumentation and Range Systems Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Flight Test Instrumentation and Range Systems Engineer plans and executes flight tests of strategic missiles, reentry systems, hypersonic weapons, and other test articles. The role applies expertise in instrumentation and sensor systems to support reliable flight testing on government programs, develop concepts for test-range and instrumentation systems, and provide onsite support at test events. The engineer supports the full test lifecycle, from shaping data-collection strategies during planning to deployments at mission operations centers, remote ranges, and naval ships. The role coordinates and leads documentation, planning, and execution of portions of flight-test operations; supports upgrades to legacy systems and introduction of new sensor technologies; and collaborates with APL and industry experts to address test requirements. Work is primarily conducted at the Laurel, Maryland campus, with regular local, domestic, and international travel, including occasional extended deployments at sea.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Applied Math, or a related field.
At least 3 years of experience with flight-test operations, telemetry, sensor integration, or high-speed data acquisition.
Knowledge of flight-test instrumentation and range-systems technologies such as GPS, telemetry, optics, and/or acoustic systems.
Proficiency in at least one scripting or analysis language; MATLAB and Python are especially useful.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work through ideas with teammates.
Ability to travel regularly, including occasional deployments at sea and approximately six trips per year outside the local area, as well as frequent trips to local sites.
Comfort working in closed-area facilities.
Ability to obtain an Interim Secret clearance by the start date and ultimately obtain a Top Secret clearance; eligibility for access to classified information requires U.S. citizenship and a government security investigation.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree and direct experience in test and evaluation, aerospace systems, or mission modeling.
Knowledge of the Navy Trident II Strategic Weapon System and/or Air Force ICBM systems.
Hands-on experience with flight-test instrumentation, telemetry, sensor integration, or high-speed data acquisition.
Familiarity with radar, acoustic data, optics, telemetry, time synchronization (e.g., IRIG-B, GPS-DO), or data-format standards (CCSDS, STANAG).
Experience in operations, testing, or rapid-response environments in military, academic, or civilian settings.
Experience with Navy, Coast Guard, or commercial ships.
Active Top Secret clearance.
Eligibility to obtain SCI and/or SAP access.

Responsibilities

Partner with mission planners early in test design to define what data must be captured, why it must be captured, and how objectives will be met.
Attend reviews and technical interchange meetings with or on behalf of Government Sponsors, providing subject matter expertise on data-collection system design and use.
Provide systems engineering support for legacy and newly developed flight-test instrumentation systems.
Develop subject matter expertise in specialized flight-test instrumentation systems used for weapon-system testing.
Deploy to test ranges for pre-mission checkout and mission operations, sometimes serving as a test director on-console.
Deploy on sea-based downrange assets and coordinate onboard operations supporting test-data collection.
Analyze post-test data to evaluate flight-test instrumentation performance.
Collaborate with Laboratory and industry experts to identify solutions for new and emerging test requirements.
Travel to sponsor facilities, contractor sites, sponsor venues, and test locations, including occasional extended deployments at sea.

Benefits

Robust education assistance program.
Retirement plans and contributions.
Paid time off.
Medical insurance.
Dental insurance.
Vision insurance.
Life insurance.
Short-term disability insurance.
Long-term disability insurance.
Flexible spending accounts.
Training and development.
Potential sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.