2025 Graduate - HPM & RF Engineer

Description

Would you like to be part of a team that is revolutionizing modern warfare and pushing the boundaries in the art of the possible?

Do you want to become an expert inRF systems, including Electronic Warfare, Radar, High Energy Laser (HEL), High Power Microwave (HPM) and other applications?

If you are graduating with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Math, Physics or a related field and are interested in using those skills to develop novel defense capabilities, we'd love to have you join our team!

We are seeking highly motivated students to help us understand and develop non-kinetic systems, including understanding and modeling their impacts on adversary missiles and associated systems.Our group works on some of the most difficult and influential problems in the Department of Defense (DoD) - how to defend our military and homeland - using a deep knowledge of the foreign threat as well as the subject matter expertise and curiosity to figure out how to defeat them through novel, non-kinetic defeat mechanisms (High Power Microwave (HPM), High Energy Laser (HEL), Electronic Warfare (EW), and more). You will be joining a hardworking team of engineers and scientists who are subject matter experts in this area, and develop, test, and analyze various advanced technologies for missile defense. This team also provides insights to the Air and Missile Defense Sector about adversary weapons as we develop innovative defenses to defend the US homeland, allies, and troops overseas.We strive to foster an environment of collaboration and commitment to the mission of Revolutionizing the Art of Defense. Our team values of Courageous Curiosity, Enthusiastic Empathy, and Inspired Improvement help grow our capabilities based on a solid foundation of teamwork and cooperation.

Your primary responsibilities could include:

• Perform system-level RF analysis, including link budgets, propagation effects, and lethality assessments.
• Evaluate lethality and effectiveness of RF and HPM systems against air and missile threats through experimentation, simulation, and analysis.
• Propose, analyze, and test novel RF concepts including at the system level, novel waveforms, new hardware designs, etc.
• Understand kill chain integration of RF and HPM systems, working with systems engineers, combat system experts, and sensor experts to evaluate or perform activities such as: end to end mission modeling, technical concept design, requirements definition, development phases, technical reviews, budget and schedule development.
• As needed, perform analog, RF circuit, amplifier, and/or antenna design, simulation, development and test. Duties could include board layout, circuit-level analysis, schematic development, and test design.

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

• Have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Math, Physics, or related fields
• Experience with programming language such as MATLAB, Python, C, C++, Java, or similar
• Are able to obtain Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain 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
• Are willing and able to accommodate: flexible hours for system level testing and integration activities for short periods of time, infrequent travel to customer or sponsor locations, as well as to integration and test sites

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Currently hold, or are able to obtain a Top Secret or TS/SCI level security clearance
• Are skilled in and/or have knowledge of one or more of: RF or Optical propagation, system design, or testing
• Previous academic or professional experience developing, testing, or modeling EW, HPM, or HEL weapon systems and their effectiveness
• Experience designing and executing conducted and radiated RF experiments, including scripting instrument control, data collection and documentation
• Experience with RF circuit principles and microwave and electromagnetic tools and simulators such as ADS, Microwave Office, and/or HFSS
• Familiarity with a mechanical CAD package (SOLIDWORKS or AutoCAD)
• Experience with layout and schematic capture tools such as Mentor and Altium

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

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 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.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.