The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is seeking a Military Systems Cybersecurity Software Engineer to support research and engineering efforts that strengthen cyber resilience for military platforms and systems. This onsite role in Laurel, MD focuses on building software capabilities, evaluating system behavior, and creating tooling that helps validate detection and response against cyber adversaries.
In this position, you will design and deliver resilient software solutions across air, afloat, land, and subsurface domains, while analyzing network behavior using logs and traffic data. You will also execute sophisticated attack scenarios to assess how well security solutions detect activity and respond to emerging threats.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, evaluate, and deploy robust and resilient software capabilities and solutions for air, afloat, land, and subsurface military and/or tactical platforms and systems to enhance cyber resilience.
- Perform network analysis of logs and traffic to confirm expected system behavior and identify threats and/or deviations.
- Develop tooling and run advanced attack scenarios to assess the effectiveness of security solutions for detection and response.
- Commit to continuous learning and professional development to expand skills and technical knowledge.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- Proven experience in software development, testing, and deployment, preferably with a cybersecurity focus.
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages, including Python, Java, Golang, Rust, C, or C++.
- 3+ years of software development experience using one or more of the preferred languages.
- Knowledge of cybersecurity principles, threat detection methodologies, and/or incident response processes.
- Experience with computer networks and network analysis tools, such as Wireshark and Suite.
- Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams as a leader and/or contributor.
- Demonstrated critical thinking, including the ability to develop solutions for complex problems.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to occasionally travel (up to 10%) and work as required in classified areas.
- Ability to obtain an Interim Secret clearance by your start date, with the potential to ultimately obtain TS/SCI+poly clearance; U.S. citizenship is required, and selection is subject to a government security clearance investigation.
Technologies
- Python, Java, Golang, Rust, C, C++
- Wireshark, Splunk, ELK Stack
- VMware vSphere
Benefits
- Robust education assistance program
- Unparalleled retirement contributions
- Healthy work/life balance
- Comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans
- Paid time off
- Medical, dental, vision
- Life insurance
- Short-term disability and long-term disability
- Flexible spending accounts
- Education assistance, training, and development
Preferred (Above Minimum) Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience with military systems architecture, design, and cybersecurity solutions.
- 3+ years of experience conducting cybersecurity assessments against military networks and/or systems.
- Detailed technical understanding and/or operational/maintenance experience with combat systems, weapons and stores systems command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) avionics hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) and/or other related military operational technology, including embedded systems and supporting platform network and computing environments.
- Knowledge of cyber issues involving real-time operating systems, software-intensive systems, autonomous military systems, and mission/domain-specific applications.
- Experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware vSphere.
- Familiarity with SIEM tools, such as Splunk and ELK Stack.
- Experience conducting penetration testing, red teaming exercises, and threat simulations.
- Proven experience building intrusion detection systems (IDS), and penetration/red team tooling.
- Prior interactions with DoD and IC communities.
Location: Laurel, MD (onsite)
Compensation: USD 100,000 to 195,000 per year
Minimum rate: $100,000 annually | Maximum rate: $195,000 annually
