Guidance and Control Engineer

About the role

Are you passionate about collaborating with experienced engineers to design and develop the next generation of weapon systems? Can you design and deliver cutting-edge guidance and control solutions, and guide their successful transition into operational weapon systems for our military? If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL. We are seeking an experienced Guidance & Control (G&C) engineer to deliver world-class analysis and development across a range of advanced vehicle systems. Emerging domains like hypersonic flight introduce complex design challenges, including rapidly changing nonlinear dynamics, unique control mechanisms, and mission-specific guidance in highly contested environments. Innovations in areas like Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AI/ML) and cooperative control for multi-agent systems also offer exciting opportunities to shape the future of our nation’s defensive capabilities. Our team supports a wide array of platforms, including hypersonics, cruise missiles, submarines, and autonomous flight vehicles. As a senior engineer, you will spearhead development of agile and robust guidance and control solutions for these critical systems, leveraging your deep technical expertise and passion for continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Apply your expertise in guidance and control to tackle complex technical challenges across a wide range of advanced autonomous vehicle systems.
• Lead the research, design, and development of cutting-edge guidance and control algorithms, grounded in modern control theory and best practices.
• Mentor and guide other GNC engineers and help ensure that our team maintains deep knowledge in the analysis, design, and implementation of control solutions for next-generation weapon systems.
• Analyze and assess contractor designs to assist program offices throughout the DoD acquisition cycle and interface with contractor community to help them design and build operational weapon systems.
• Collaborate closely with experts across disciplines to identify technical risks, communicate challenges to program sponsors, and help shape the strategic direction of your programs.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or another related technical field.
• At least five years of experience in vehicle guidance, controls, or autonomous systems.
• Comfortable building physics-based models, applying system dynamics and equations of motion in a simulation environment.
• Proficient in one or more areas of controls theory, including classical methods (e.g., PID) and modern methods (e.g., nonlinear Lyapunov based, adaptive, robust, cooperative, and model predictive control) and their application to vehicle control design.
• Strong sense of initiative, creativity, and a passion for learning.
• Work effectively in a team and desire to mentor and lead technical staff members.
• Able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by start date and ultimately obtain a Top Secret level clearance. U.S. citizenship required.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in a related technical field.
• Proficient in guidance theory and application to flight systems (e.g., ProNav, GENEX, Optimal Guidance Methods).
• Deep knowledge in an affiliated field such as state estimation, navigation, optimization, system identification, hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing, or flight-testing missile systems.
• Significant experience in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AI/ML), especially as applied towards vehicle autonomy.
• Experience in project management, mentorship, and/or leading teams of people.

Benefits

APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• Flexible spending accounts
• Education assistance
• Training and development

Additional perks include 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.

Pay

Minimum Rate: $100,000 Annually

Maximum Rate: $245,000 Annually

Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.