Cybersecurity Engineer Job at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel

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Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory provided pay range

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.

Base pay range

$100,000.00/yr - $227,500.00/yr

Description

Do you want to contribute your technical expertise to U.S. strategic deterrence, protecting our nation from highly capable and motivated nation‑state adversaries? Would you enjoy shaping and conducting a varied portfolio of activities, such as cybersecurity assessments, resilience engineering, threat intelligence, and program protection, to safeguard U.S. Navy and Air Force deterrence programs and systems? Are you passionate about developing innovative approaches to address the most critical challenges in defending the U.S. and its allies? If so, we are looking for someone like you to join the System Realization and Resilience Group (KBR) within the Force Projection Sector at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) located in Laurel, MD.

Our team is responsible for enabling the realization of strategic systems, ensuring resilience and specialty disciplines are integrated throughout system development, and supporting credible verification of strategic weapon systems. We lead efforts in systems engineering, system security engineering, cyber security, test and integration, digital engineering, nuclear command and control, and reliability engineering.

We are seeking an experienced Cybersecurity Engineer to join our mission‑focused multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists to conduct hands‑on vulnerability assessments, working with the Government and its contractors to identify and prioritize mitigations to address assessment findings based on a deep understanding of mission objectives and operational constraints.

Responsibilities

• Develop a deep, layered understanding of mission objectives, system architecture, system component functionality, and operational environments through document synthesis and SME engagement.
• Assess deployed systems of interest by:
  • Supporting hands‑on cybersecurity assessments through vulnerability research, direct testing, configuration analysis, and penetration testing of hardware, software, and networks.
  • Participating in the development and execution of test plans, data collection, and analysis of assessment results.
  • Documenting technical findings clearly and consistently to communicate them to external organizations and stakeholders.
  • Working within multidisciplinary and cross‑organizational teams to interpret technical vulnerabilities, system findings, and prioritize mitigations or compensating engineering activities in light of mission priorities and operational constraints.
• Support early lifecycle design and development efforts by:
  • Working closely with the external organizations responsible for developing the systems of interest to understand the item being developed, its mission context, and ensure early consideration of security and resilience perspectives.
  • Practicing technical diplomacy to facilitate the communication of ideas across technical, operational, and organizational domains.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possess a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, or a related quantitative field.
• Have 5+ years of hands‑on experience with two or more of the following: penetration testing, red teaming, software reverse engineering, malware analysis, exploit development, system security engineering, secure system design, software development.
• Are able to pursue complex technical threads deeply, yet step back to keep focus on the wider mission context and constraints.
• Are experienced in adapting to new systems, stakeholders, and missions, using structured inquiry and creative reasoning to proactively define next steps.
• Have experience writing technical documents and presenting technical information to non‑technical audiences.
• Can obtain an Interim Secret security clearance by your start date, and can ultimately obtain a Top Secret clearance. Eligibility requires U.S. citizenship.
• Are willing and able to travel periodically to government, contractor, and/or other agency sites up to 25% of the time.

Desired Qualifications

• Have 8+ years of hands‑on experience with three or more of the following: penetration testing, red teaming, software reverse engineering, malware analysis, exploit development, system security engineering, secure system design, software development.
• Are equally comfortable talking with software engineers, system architects, mission operators, and senior leadership.
• Have experience in assembling and leading multi‑disciplinary teams, particularly drawing from different organizations with different business cultures.
• Have an active Top Secret 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 of perspectives 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 www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

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 contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu.

Minimum Rate

$100,000 Annually

Maximum Rate

$227,500 Annually

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Information Technology

Industries

Defense and Space Manufacturing