2027 Graduate - Software Developer or RF Systems Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Are you interested in developing software or advancing radar and radio-frequency systems for critical national security challenges? Do you enjoy understanding how complex systems work, testing ideas against evidence, and turning technical concepts into useful capabilities? If so, we’re looking for someone like you to join our team at APL! We are a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and software developers who advance electromagnetic and computer-system capabilities for critical national security missions, with a primary focus on maritime applications. Our work spans radar, electronic warfare (EW), RF communications and propagation, remote sensing, signal and image processing, software development, modeling and simulation, and technical prototyping. We bring domain experts, analysts, algorithm developers, and software engineers together to carry ideas from initial analysis and concept development through implementation, integration, test, and evaluation. We are seeking engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, and physicists with strong technical fundamentals who want to contribute in one or both of the areas described below. We value people who ask thoughtful questions, take initiative when the path forward is not obvious, test assumptions against evidence, seek out expertise when needed, and follow through to technically sound, useful results. The breadth of our work provides opportunities to build deep expertise, contribute across adjacent disciplines, and grow into technical or project leadership.

Requirements

Have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, mathematics, physics, or another closely related technical field.
Have programming experience through coursework, research, employment, or independent projects using languages such as C++, Python, Java, MATLAB, or similar.
Have a technical foundation in at least one of the following: software development, computer systems, operating systems, or networking; or electromagnetics, RF systems, communications, signal processing, or the mathematical or physical foundations underlying these areas.
Have demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to apply technical fundamentals to unfamiliar problems.
Can work independently, collaborate effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, and communicate technical ideas clearly.
Are willing and able to work in closed-area facilities.
Able to obtain an Interim Secret security clearance by your start date and ultimately obtain a Top Secret/SCI security 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 completed an internship, capstone, thesis, research effort, independent project, or other substantial technical activity related to one or more of the areas described above.
Have experience with software-development or system-level computing practices such as object-oriented or systems programming, Linux, version control, automated testing, debugging, continuous integration, performance optimization, computer networking, embedded systems, or distributed systems.
Have coursework or project experience involving electromagnetics, radar, RF systems, communications, EW, propagation, antennas, remote sensing, or signal processing.
Have experience with modeling and simulation, scientific computing, numerical methods, data analysis, machine learning, or algorithm development.
Have experience integrating software with sensors, hardware, networks, laboratory equipment, or other real-world systems, or evaluating technical approaches through experiments, field tests, or benchmarking.
Have demonstrated initiative, follow-through, or emerging leadership by defining next steps, coordinating with others, seeking out needed expertise, and carrying an open-ended technical effort to completion.
Hold an active Secret, Top Secret, or higher-level security clearance.

Responsibilities

Work with multidisciplinary teams to understand operational needs, formulate technical problems, and develop practical approaches.
Develop software, models, algorithms, analysis tools, experiments, or prototypes appropriate to the problem.
Use simulated, laboratory, and real-world data to understand system behavior, evaluate performance, and guide further development.
Contribute across multiple stages of the development lifecycle and clearly communicate your work through code, documentation, technical discussions, presentations, and reports.
Design, implement, test, document, and maintain software applications, analysis tools, and technical prototypes.
Develop software that processes sensor data, supports modeling and simulation, or interfaces with hardware, networks, and distributed systems.
Apply an understanding of computer architecture, operating systems, networks, protocols, and software behavior to understand how complex systems communicate, perform, and fail and to improve their security and resilience.
Work closely with algorithm developers and domain experts to mature technical concepts and research prototypes into reliable, maintainable, and efficient software.
Analyze and model radar, communications, EW, remote-sensing, propagation, and other RF systems.
Develop and evaluate signal-processing algorithms for detection, estimation, tracking, classification, and other sensor-data exploitation problems.
Use modeling, simulation, laboratory experiments, and field data to characterize system performance, understand limitations, and evaluate new concepts.
Develop technical prototypes and support algorithm, software, and hardware integration, test, and evaluation.