Lead Scientist–Computational Physics, Signal Processing, and Machine Learning (REQ 342

Overview

Applied Physical Sciences (APS) is seeking a highly motivated Scientist to join our growing multidisciplinary research and development team. This position will develop advanced computational methods that combine first-principles physics, numerical modeling, signal and image processing, and machine learning to solve challenging maritime and national security problems. The successful candidate will contribute across several APS technical areas, including sonar and sensing systems, undersea communications, computational hydrodynamics, acoustic and non-acoustic platform analysis, and underwater electromagnetic modelling.

The work will include high‑fidelity simulation, inverse methods, physics‑informed machine learning, reduced‑order modelling, uncertainty quantification, and high‑performance computing. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in computational physics, applied mathematics, or signal processing; experience implementing advanced numerical algorithms; and an interest in applying those skills across multiple physical domains. Direct experience in every application area is not expected. APS is seeking a technically curious scientist who can learn new physics, formulate difficult problems mathematically, and develop efficient computational solutions.

This position provides visibility into cutting‑edge R&D initiatives and the opportunity to influence the technical direction of next‑generation capabilities supporting critical U.S. Navy programs. The successful candidate will collaborate with experts in acoustics, hydrodynamics, electromagnetics, corrosion control, signal processing, communications, and machine learning to transition innovative concepts into practical engineering solutions. Join a dynamic R&D environment where scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines collaborate to address complex national security challenges.

Our close‑knit organisation offers the agility of a small company while valuing technical depth, operational excellence, and innovative thinking. You will have the opportunity to take initiative, contribute new ideas, and see your work directly support meaningful, mission‑driven outcomes.

• Develop physics‑based, data‑driven, and hybrid computational models for maritime sensing, communication, platform performance, and environmental interaction.
• Develop and evaluate sonar signal‑processing algorithms for detection, classification, localisation, imaging, array processing, and acoustic scene understanding.
• Apply advanced signal and image processing methods, including inverse methods, compressed sensing, regularisation, estimation, filtering, and data assimilation, to reconstruct physical states from limited or noisy measurements.
• Develop models and algorithms for underwater acoustic systems operating in multipath, bandwidth‑limited, time‑varying, and strongly attenuating channels.
• Develop machine‑learning surrogate and reduced‑order models for computationally intensive acoustic, electromagnetic, hydrodynamic, structural, and coupled multiphysics simulations.
• Develop computational electromagnetic models for underwater electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic sensing, and non‑acoustic platform effects.
• Apply computational methods such as finite‑element, boundary‑element, integral‑equation, particle, spectral, or mesh‑free methods to large‑scale physics problems.
• Design scalable algorithms for CPU, GPU, cluster, and distributed high‑performance computing environments.
• Improve the speed, memory efficiency, numerical stability, and accuracy of existing simulation and signal‑processing software.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to define requirements, formulate technical approaches, create software interfaces, and integrate algorithms into embedded, desktop, and distributed systems.
• Support laboratory, field, and at‑sea testing through experimental planning, data analysis, model validation, and interpretation of results.
• Document algorithms, software, and technical results, and present findings to customers, sponsors, peer‑review groups, and technical working groups.
• Contribute to technical proposals, research…