BS​/MS Rotational Discovery Program

Join to apply for the 2026 BS/MS Rotational Discovery Program role at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

Join to apply for the 2026 BS/MS Rotational Discovery Program role at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

This range is provided by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

$85,000.00/yr - $/yr

Description

Do you love to solve complex engineering, analytical, or research problems?

Are you interested in exploring different domains such as defense systems, undersea warfare, cyber operations, and national security analysis?

If you are a recent graduate or soon-to-be graduate with a STEM degree and a desire to make critical contributions to critical challenges, we’d love to have you join our team!

We are seeking talented and highly motivated early career technical staff members to join the Discovery Program, APL’s two-year rotational program. The program offers a unique opportunity for recent graduates to gain valuable experience across multiple technical areas. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills while exploring a breadth of professional interests. You will apply innovative solutions to our nation’s critical challenges, collaborate with experts, and develop a strong foundation for your career.

As a member of the Discovery Program, you will…

• Contribute to a varied set of projects, employing and honing a wide range of skills to meet unique mission needs.
• Collaborate with technical experts to drive impact.
• Accelerate your technical and professional development through targeted training, mentorship, and hands-on experience.
• Innovate through a dedicated Innovation Challenge Project, where you’ll design and pitch a solution to a complex technical problem.

• Electrical Engineering: signal processing, telecommunications, control systems, RF and electromagnetics, electrical systems, instrumentation
• Computer Science/Computer Engineering: software engineering, hardware engineering, cybersecurity, networking, data science, modeling and simulation, embedded systems
• Mathematics: statistics, data science, data analysis, modeling and simulation, numerical analysis, algorithm development, operations research
• Physics: data analysis, algorithm development, optics and photonics, environmental physics, experimental physics
• Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering: mechanical design, thermodynamics and heat transfer, fluid mechanics, solid mechanics, mechatronics, dynamics and controls
• Systems Engineering: software engineering, digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, modeling and simulation

• Have a B.S. or M.S. in a STEM field (specifically in the disciplines listed above).
• Have strong technical experience, as proven through demonstrated impact in at least one internship, research experience, and/or project outside of the classroom.
• Have demonstrated initiative that has enabled excellence in technical projects, professional experiences, and/or extracurricular activities.
• Thrive in a collaborative team environment with strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Have demonstrated the ability to quickly contribute to projects in technical areas that are new to you.
• Are interested in solving complex research, engineering, and/or analytical problems that present critical challenges to U.S. government agencies including the Department of Defense.
• Are able to acquire an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately acquire a 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.

• Have engaged in multiple internships, research experiences, or projects outside of the classroom.
• Have leadership experience.