Senior Mission Engineer – Advanced Reentry

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

12h

About The Position

We are seeking a highly technical mission engineer to help assess, design, and prototype next generation hypersonic, reentry systems and enabling technologies. As a member of our team, you’ll be making critical contributions to develop these next generation systems, ensuring the enduring effectiveness of our Nation’s strategic deterrent. You will be joining a complementary team of engineers who work together to provide impactful solutions to system level objectives and challenges. We are passionate about innovation and our team is committed to providing engaging, challenging work and supporting continued learning and development.

Requirements

Have a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
Have minimum 10 years of relevant experience.
Have experience with developing and leveraging mission-level models/analyses.
Have experience leading highly technical cross-functional teams of engineers.
Have experience in early concept development efforts to include gap assessments, design trade studies, requirements analysis, and risk assessment.
Have demonstrated ability to interact effectively with and lead multidisciplinary teams, including industry and government sponsors.
Have initiative and drive to make meaningful contributions to an important mission.
Hold an active Secret security clearance and can ultimately obtain Top 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 Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering.
Have in-depth knowledge of Defense Acquisition processes
Have intimate knowledge of ballistic missile defense systems and their components (e.g., radars, interceptors, command and control).
Have experience in the design or development of reentry, hypersonic, or space systems and relevant technologies.
Have experience engaging with high level government and/or defense industry leadership on highly technical topics.
Have knowledge of the Navy Trident II Strategic Weapon System and/or Air Force Minuteman III ICBM System.
Hold an active Secret or higher level clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide mission‑engineering expertise and leadership to assess operational objectives, identify capability gaps and develop end‑to‑end mission architectures for next‑generation hypersonic and reentry systems.
Translate high‑level mission goals into functional requirements, performance metrics and trade‑study models by leading multidisciplinary mission‑analysis teams—including APL engineers, government sponsors, military operators, and industry partners
Conduct mission‑level trade studies, risk assessments, and scenario‑based simulations to evaluate concepts of operations, system‑of‑systems interactions, and survivability against emerging threats.
Produce reports, briefings, and visualizations that communicate mission analyses, architecture trade‑offs and risk mitigation strategies to government sponsors, industry collaborators, and senior decision‑makers.