PhD GN&C Engineer – Missile Flight Navigation & Control

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

Job summary

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks a PhD graduate to help design, implement, and evaluate GN&C subsystems for national missile systems. You will join a team of engineers, physicists, and mathematicians who independently evaluate weapon system performance and contribute to critical defense programs.

Ideal candidates hold a PhD in engineering or physics, with flight dynamics or estimation theory coursework, and are prepared to obtain security clearances.

Qualifications

• PhD in Engineering, Physics, Math, or related field.
• Coursework/research in flight dynamics, guidance, navigation, or control, linear state-space, physical modeling, or estimation theory.
• Curious and eager to learn new skills and expand capabilities.
• Eligibility to obtain Interim Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Develop GN&C methodologies for next-generation missile flight systems.
• Apply state estimation to large state representations for onboard and post-flight analysis.
• Develop navigation error models from math/physics fundamentals.
• Use MATLAB/Simulink to generate navigation models and perform trade studies.
• Develop navigation algorithms for 6-DOF simulations.
• Present analysis to sponsors informing weapon system performance and designs.

Skills

Flight dynamics

Estimation theory

State-space modeling

Curiosity / willingness to learn

Education

PhD in Engineering or Physics

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

C++

Job description

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks a PhD graduate to help design, implement, and evaluate GN&C subsystems for national missile systems. You will join a team of engineers, physicists, and mathematicians who independently evaluate weapon system performance and contribute to critical defense programs.

Ideal candidates hold a PhD in engineering or physics, with flight dynamics or estimation theory coursework, and are prepared to obtain security clearances.