2027 BS/MS Graduate - AI/ML Research Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 85,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks new graduates to contribute directly to foundational AI research addressing national security challenges. You will work on foundation models, agents, and autonomous systems using GPUs and HPC resources.

As part of the Artificial Intelligence group in REDD within the Intelligent Systems Center, you will receive hands-on mentorship, publish results, translate open-ended questions into prototype capabilities, and advance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or Engineering.
• Hands-on AI/ML research via university projects or internships.
• Proficient in Python with PyTorch.
• Eligible for Interim Secret clearance and eventual Top Secret clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement experiments involving foundation models, agents, and autonomous systems.
• Develop research software and testbeds using high-end GPU/HPC resources.
• Analyze results, communicate findings, and contribute to publications.

Skills

Python

PyTorch

Research experience

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

HuggingFace Transformers

JAX

ROS/ROS2

Job description

Description

Are you an aspiring computer scientist or engineer following the latest breakthroughs in AI?
Do you want to conduct foundational AI research driven by pressing national security challenges?
Does working in a fast-paced environment on open-ended problems excite you?
If these questions describe you, you may be the kind of person the Artificial Intelligence group in JHU/APL’s Research and Exploratory Development Department (REDD) is looking for. The AI group exists within the Intelligent Systems Center (ISC), a facility that is home to over 100 researchers specializing in AI, robotics, neuroscience, and complex systems. Many programs supported by the ISC provide opportunities to publish and present unclassified work at leading conferences. You can learn more about the ISC and our research at www.jhuapl.edu/isc.

We are looking for new graduates to contribute directly to research programs targeting foundational advances with cross-mission impact, such as:

• Adversarial vulnerabilities and defenses of frontier models and agentic systems
• Aligning AI agents to human behavior and thought processes
• Assured agents enabling zero-shot problem solving by robots
• Training multimodal foundation models on language and sensor data
• Developing rigorous, mission‑driven evaluations of emerging AI systems.

As a member of our team, you receive hands‑on mentorship from senior scientists while taking meaningful ownership of research and software development. You will design and implement experiments involving foundation models, agents, and/or autonomous systems; develop research software and testbeds using high-end GPU and HPC resources; analyze results, communicate findings, and contribute to technical publications; and translate open-ended research questions into prototype capabilities for advancing national security.

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you…

• Have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or Engineering.
• Have hands‑on experience conducting AI/ML research through a university lab, internship, capstone, substantial coursework, or independent project.
• Are proficient in Python programming with experience using PyTorch.
• Are able to obtain an Interim Secret security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a 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.

You’ll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you…

• Maintain an active portfolio of open‑source software projects on GitHub.
• Have experience directing AI coding assistants to accelerate implementation while maintaining software quality, security, documentation, and maintainability
• Have experience building applications or conducting research with foundation models using tools such as HuggingFace Transformers, Pytorch, Jax, and other related libraries.
• Have experience deploying autonomous AI agents using orchestration libraries such as PydanticAI, LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, or other related libraries.
• Have experience developing software for robotic systems using ROS/ROS2.
• Have experience running compute jobs on an HPC cluster using Slurm.
• Authored or co-authored a conference paper, journal article, workshop paper, preprint, poster, or technical report.

About Us

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.

Why Work at APL?

At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives 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 https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

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 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 [e-mail].

Minimum Rate
$85,000 Annually
Maximum Rate
$165,000 Annually