Mission Planning Systems Engineer - Multi-Domain Defense

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

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Education assistance

Training and development

Job summary

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks an entry‑level engineer to contribute to national defense capabilities in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

You will work with engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and military subject matter experts to design, test, and deploy software for mission planning and decision‑support tools, while learning from experienced mentors from day one.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or related field.
• Experience with software development using C++, Python, Java, JavaScript, or TypeScript.
• Ability to learn new technologies and work independently or in a team.
• Eligibility to obtain Interim Secret/Secret clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain software for mission planning and decision‑support applications.
• Apply software engineering, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, data analysis, or AI techniques to solve operational challenges.
• Develop and evaluate algorithms to improve mission planning and resource allocation.
• Build secure software using modern engineering practices including DevSecOps and containerized development environments.
• Conduct engineering studies evaluating capabilities of current and future defense systems.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to transition research into operational capabilities.
• Learn from mentors while contributing to meaningful projects from day one.
• Engage with military operators to translate user needs into technical solutions.

Skills

C++

Python

Java

JavaScript

TypeScript

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a technical field

Master’s degree (nice to have)

Tools

Linux

Git

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Cloud technologies

DevSecOps practices

Job description

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks an entry‑level engineer to contribute to national defense capabilities in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

You will work with engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and military subject matter experts to design, test, and deploy software for mission planning and decision‑support tools, while learning from experienced mentors from day one.