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Do you love to push the bounds of science and technology while solving some of the most ambitious problems facing our Nation?

Are you a creative and inventive researcher looking to discover and understand cyber vulnerabilities in constrained and specialized systems supporting military and space missions?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL.

We are seeking dedicated professionals to apply purposeful research to the cyber resilience of military platforms, systems, and spacecraft, supporting innovative offensive and defensive capability development. Our team works collaboratively with industry, academia, and government to study, design, develop, implement, and test cyber capabilities applied to air, space, afloat, ground, and undersea military platforms and systems. We strive to cultivate an environment that promotes professional growth and a balanced life, and value diversity on our teams.

As a Cybersecurity Researcher...

• You will enhance the architecture and design of ships, subs, aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous military systems and weapons systems to enhance resilience to cyber attack in the presence of an adverse cyber environment.
• You will join forces with team members in the analysis and reverse engineering of systems to identify and understand security vulnerabilities and their impact on missions.
• You will innovate solutions to bring defend-forward, offensive cyber, and threat hunting concepts and capabilities to constrained military or space systems and operations.
• You can use internal funding opportunities to craft the direction of future research.
• You will circulate knowledge by articulating ideas clearly through papers and presentations to technical staff, management, and government decision makers.

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

• Possess a PhD in Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical area.
• Have 8+ years of experience conducting research or development efforts.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work in diverse teams as a leader and/or a contributor.
• Demonstrate outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Have a track record of applying critical thinking to developing solutions to complex problems.
• Have carried out research and published technical articles in advanced mathematics or computer science in academic or industry settings.
• Have experience applying mathematics such as graph theory, probability theory, and game theory to solve cyber challenges.
• Are willing and able to travel up to 20%.
• Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI+poly 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...

• Have experience designing solutions that inhibit or mitigate operational impact from cyber attack given constraints of funding, operations, performance or organization.
• Have experience applying data science, mathematical modeling, and/or machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to solve cyber problems.
• Understand cyber issues affecting operational technology like ICS/SCADA systems or real-time and highly-constrained aircraft, ships, ground vehicles, submarines, spacecraft, including RTOS, embedded, RF/communications, weapons, autonomous systems, serial bus specifications, and operational mission/domain-specific applications.
• Have had prior interactions with the DoD and IC communities.
• Hold an active DoD Top Secret or TS/SCI Clearance.

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.