Senior Aerospace Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Albuquerque, NM

About The Position

The Senior Aerospace Engineer provides technical leadership and expertise in developing avionics and electronics for prototype reentry vehicles and advanced aerospace systems. The role guides multiple hardware development efforts, evaluates emerging technologies, and provides technical insight to inform government sponsor decisions. It involves advising on development strategies, design approaches, technical risks, and complex engineering activities from early concepts through prototype demonstration. The engineer works with multidisciplinary teams, industry partners, and government organizations to advance future capabilities supporting the Nation's strategic deterrent. The position is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with regular engagement at Kirtland Air Force Base and other regional government and industry facilities. The role is part of a geographically distributed APL team and includes occasional travel to APL's main campus in Laurel, Maryland, and other sponsor, contractor, or test facilities. Work may involve access to classified facilities and occasional support of laboratory, integration, or field test activities.

Requirements

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or another relevant technical discipline.
At least 20 years of relevant engineering experience.
Extensive professional experience and demonstrated technical expertise in avionics and electronics development, including evaluating hardware architectures, subsystem designs, hardware/software interfaces, integration challenges, and development risks.
Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership or oversight for complex hardware development, guiding multidisciplinary teams from early concept and requirements definition through prototype integration and testing.
Experience evaluating engineering designs, assessing development progress, identifying technical risks, and providing technically defensible recommendations.
Demonstrated success working with government sponsors, industry partners, and other external organizations, including communicating complex technical findings and recommendations to technical leadership and stakeholders.
Ability to work independently as part of a geographically distributed team, engage directly with government sponsors, and mentor developing engineers.
Willingness and ability to work at government facilities in the Albuquerque, New Mexico area and travel occasionally to APL and other partner locations.
Active Secret security clearance and ability to ultimately obtain a Top Secret clearance; eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or another relevant technical field.
Extensive experience developing avionics and electronics for reentry vehicles, ballistic missile systems, hypersonic vehicles, spacecraft, or other advanced aerospace platforms.
Specialized expertise in flight computers, embedded electronics, power distribution, inertial navigation systems, telemetry, instrumentation, or flight data acquisition, including development and qualification for demanding aerospace environments.
Experience serving as a senior technical authority or advisor for major aerospace hardware development programs, including evaluating industry-developed hardware, participating in major design reviews, and guiding technical decisions.
Experience with AFRL, AFNWC, Department of Energy national laboratories, or other strategic weapon system organizations, and demonstrated ability to influence sponsor decisions related to technology development and future capabilities.
Established technical relationships within the Albuquerque aerospace and defense community.
Active Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide senior technical leadership and guidance for multiple avionics and electronics development efforts supporting prototype reentry vehicles and advanced aerospace systems.
Advise government sponsors by evaluating development approaches, identifying capability gaps, assessing technical risks, and informing investment and acquisition decisions.
Guide and assess development of flight electronics, embedded systems, instrumentation, sensors, power systems, and related avionics technologies.
Evaluate hardware architectures, subsystem designs, development plans, and test approaches; identify technical challenges and recommend solutions.
Provide technical oversight of prototype development by APL teams, industry partners, and other organizations, including design, fabrication, integration, and testing.
Lead and contribute to technical trade studies, design reviews, risk assessments, and technology maturation planning.
Collaborate with government sponsors, national laboratories, industry partners, and multidisciplinary engineering teams on complex engineering challenges.
Support planning, execution, and evaluation of laboratory, environmental, ground, and flight testing to assess hardware performance and development readiness.
Establish and maintain technical relationships with government and industry partners, particularly in the Albuquerque aerospace and defense community.
Prepare and present technical findings, development recommendations, and strategic assessments to sponsors, engineering leadership, and other stakeholders.
Mentor developing engineers and serve as a technical resource across projects and development teams.