Job Description

Do you love space?

Would you love to lead a diverse team of exceptional engineers designing and developing one of the most exciting, complex, and challenging spacecraft ever built for NASA?

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

Selected in June 2019 as NASA's next New Frontiers mission, and currently in development, Dragonfly takes a revolutionary approach to planetary exploration -- using a rotorcraft to fly between diverse locations, landing and sampling materials at more than two-dozen sites across Titan’s surface.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), a national leader in scientific research and development, located midway between Baltimore and Washington, DC is seeking an experienced engineer to provide leadership and unique technical expertise in the development of the mobility subsystem of the lander for the Space Exploration Sector’s Astrodynamics and Control Systems (SAC) group.

As the mobility subsystem lead your responsibilities will include:

• Your primary responsibility will be to lead the very large Dragonfly Mobility subsystem team. The team is responsible for ensuring that the lander rotorcraft can autonomously safely land on, fly over, and repeatedly take off from the surface of Titan. This involves developing and implementing the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) truth models and flight software for the landing rotorcraft and evaluating overall mobility performance.
• Overall technical development of the subsystem. In particular reviewing key design decisions with the team before implementing or bringing these decisions to the larger mission team.
• Working with the sensor lead to procure, test, and integrate flight hardware related to the mobility subsystem.   
• Helping the team to design a fault management strategy, and autonomous changes to flight operations in the event of unforeseen anomalies.
• Interfacing with program management on cost and schedule issues that impact the subsystem, including status reports, discussions on planning and tasking of the staff and staffing levels of the mobility team, and entering risks to the system tracking software.
• Refining, verifying, and testing of all requirements on the mobility subsystem, and how those flow from the mission and systems requirements.
• Reviewing and approving various mission level documents.
• Holding regular meetings with both your subsystem team as well as with other systems and subsystems to ensure communication and comradery with the mission team.

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You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you…

• Have a Bachelor’s in a related technical field.
• Have 10 years experience in a space related field.
• Have demonstrated leadership of a technical team.

• Are able to obtain a Secret security 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…

• Hold a Master’s or Ph.D in a related technical field.
• Have led a related subsystem team for a NASA mission/development process.
• Have experience with lander vehicle or rotorcraft GNC design.

Be Part of Something Innovative

Over the past 25 years, the Space Exploration Sector at APL, has pushed the boundaries of what is possible; delivering game-changing impacts to sponsors like NASA and the Department of Defense. This includes historic, science space firsts like New Horizons reaching Pluto, Parker Solar Probe being the first to “touch” the sun, and the DART mission that redirected an asteroid for planetary defense. As a not-for-profit university affiliated research center, APL also delivered solutions to our nation’s national security challenges, as proven with the recent Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept (DARC) Tech Demo, and acts as a trusted partner with the US Space Force in space domain awareness and space-integrated warfare.

APL teams are currently developing missions that will advance the search for life in the Solar System through programs such as Europa Clipper and Dragonfly, exploring the lunar and cislunar domains, and providing fundamental knowledge of our Sun’s influence on the near-Earth environment through IMAP and other research and technology endeavors. To learn about these APL’s mission and projects, https://civspace.jhuapl.edu/ and https://www.jhuapl.edu/OurWork/NationalSecuritySpace.

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 http://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

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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 Accommodations@jhuapl.edu. 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.

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