AI/ML Research Scientist — Frontier AI for Defense

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 105,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education assistance

Retirement contributions

Work-life balance

Job summary

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is seeking early-career PhD graduates to advance foundational AI research that aligns with national security and prosperity goals. The Artificial Intelligence Group within REDD is focused on aligning AI agents, multimodal foundation models, and autonomous robots for complex tasks, with emphasis on publication and thought leadership.

Successful candidates will contribute to cutting-edge AI research, collaborate with sponsors, and

Qualifications

• PhD with dissertation work in fundamental AI research.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals and/or conferences.
• Proficient in Python programming with experience using PyTorch and/or Jax, including Hugging Face libraries (transformers, diffusers, datasets, tokenizers, etc.).
• Able to acquire Interim Secret level security clearance by start date and can ultimately acquire a final Top Secret level clearance. U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Advance foundational AI research with cross-mission impact.
• Publish in peer-reviewed venues and engage with the broader research ecosystem.
• Collaborate with Program Managers to develop seedling funding ideas and grow them into externally-funded projects.

Skills

Python programming

Peer-reviewed publications

Fundamental AI research

Security clearance eligibility

Education

PhD in AI or related field

Tools

PyTorch

Jax

Hugging Face libraries

Job description

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is seeking early-career PhD graduates to advance foundational AI research that aligns with national security and prosperity goals. The Artificial Intelligence Group within REDD is focused on aligning AI agents, multimodal foundation models, and autonomous robots for complex tasks, with emphasis on publication and thought leadership.

Successful candidates will contribute to cutting-edge AI research, collaborate with sponsors, and