Job Description

Description

Are you curious about the potential and peril of a world filled with ubiquitous sensing, computing, and communications technologies?

Are you interested in solving to multi-disciplinary projects involving contributions from cyber and physical technology experts?

Are you excited to work in diverse teams to solve real-world problems of national significance?

If you are graduating with a relevant PhD degree in engineering or computer science, we'd love to have you join our team!

We are seeking a Cyber-Physical Systems Researcher to help us deliver, defend, and defeat powerful intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR&T) capabilities. Wait… what in the world is a Cyber-Physical System (CPS)? There are lots of examples of CPS, but we are interested in “smart systems” featuring networks of devices that can sense, process, and communicate information. Our multi-disciplinary teams build and analyze CPS prototypes that use these capabilities to provide exquisite situational awareness to users in the homeland security, military, intelligence sectors. We employ a wide range of advanced technologies from machine learning to autonomous vehicles to power our solutions.

As a member of our team...

• You will lead research initiatives to investigate new ways to collect, fuse, and utilize cyber and physical data sources to solve sponsor challenges.
• You will lead and contribute to hardware and/or software components of prototypes that range from tiny autonomous sensors to entire “smart” environments.
• You will explore opportunities to translate findings into white papers, proposals, conference talks, and publications.
  
  

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Have a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Have conducted applied research on topics related to Cyber Physical Systems or related fields, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Sensors, or Autonomous Vehicles.
• Are proficient in software development using Python, C, and/or C++ on Windows and Linux operating systems.
• Have experience with general purpose data manipulation and analysis packages such as NumPy, Pandas, OpenCV, etc.
• Have strong communication and interpersonal skills, and are skilled at developing relationships across diverse teams.
• Are able to acquire an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately acquire a 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.
  
  

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you have knowledge or skills in any of the following areas...

• One or more sensing technologies, such as 2D/3D cameras, RADAR, LIDAR, microphones, passive infrared sensors, etc.
• Augmented reality, virtual reality, and/or mixed reality technologies and systems.
• Machine learning for detection, classification, and identification including familiarity with widespread frameworks such as TensorFlow, Pytorch, or MXNet.
• Large-scale data curation, SQL and NoSQL databases, and graph analysis tools.
• Software development for edge computing devices, such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or NVIDIA Jetson platforms.
• Geolocating and mapping techniques with and without GPS information, including as vision-based techniques (SLAM).
• Autonomous vehicle guidance and control algorithms and software.
• Development and integration of systems using the Robot Operating System (ROS).
• Wired and wireless networking architectures and protocols, including proficiency with network inspection tools such as Wireshark, tcpdump, etc.
  
  

Why work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

About Us

APL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

APL is committed to promoting an innovative environment that embraces diversity, encourages creativity, and supports inclusion of new ideas. In doing so, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu. Only by ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard are we empowered to be bold, do great things, and make the world a better place.