2026 Graduate - Hypersonic and Reentry System Development and Prototyping

Description Do you want to become an expert in hypersonic and reentry system design and prototyping? Do you want to make contributions that accelerate the readiness of our Nation's defenses to support next generation hypersonic and reentry systems? If you are graduating with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Physics and want to collaborate with our team to analyze, develop, and prototype hypersonic and reentry systems, we'd love to have you join us! We are seeking an engineer to help us analyze, develop and prototype next generation reentry systems, hypersonic vehicles, and enabling technologies to advance our Nation's premier strategic weapons systems. As a member of our team, you'll make critical contributions to develop these next generation systems, ensuring the enduring effectiveness of our Nation's strategic deterrent. You will be joining a collaborative team of engineers who work together to provide impactful solutions to system level objectives and challenges. We are passionate about innovation and committed to providing engaging, challenging work along with supporting continued learning and development. Responsibilities As a member of the Concept Development and Prototyping Team you will: Support design and analysis efforts of next generation reentry vehicles and/or their subsystems through Design, Build, and Test. Collaborate with cross‑discipline teams in prototyping activities to include ground testing, system integration, and test planning and execution support. Develop and utilize modeling and simulation tools to conduct design trade studies and performance assessments of reentry systems and/or hypersonic vehicles. Produce reports and presentations to communicate findings to team members, external organization partners, and government sponsors. Minimum Qualifications Have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline. Are passionate about an engineering discipline such as aerodynamics, mechanical design, flight dynamics, trajectory optimization, modeling and simulation, or systems engineering. Have initiative, interest in skill development, and desire to work closely with team members. Can work effectively in multi‑disciplinary teams comprised of APL staff, government sponsors, military personnel, and industry partners with varying experience levels and backgrounds. Are able to obtain a Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Top 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. Additional Experience Have previous experience with Navy and/or Air Force strategic missiles, reentry systems, or hypersonic vehicles. Have experience using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools such as Cart3D, CFD++, US3D, or similar. Have experience using CAD programs such as Creo, SolidWorks or similar. Have experience using finite element software packages such as Abaqus, COMSOL, or similar. Have experience in mechanical design and fabrication. Have experience programming in Simulink and/or C/C++. Have experience developing 3DoF and/or 6DoF simulations. Hold an active Secret or higher level clearance. Equal Opportunity Statement 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 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 let us know. Salary Minimum Rate: $85,000 Annually Maximum Rate: $165,000 Annually #J-18808-Ljbffr The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory