2025 Internship - Custom Communications

Do you enjoy working in collaborative environments to create innovative solutions?

Are you interested in developing your communication and networking systems skillsets through projects that support our nation's special operations and intelligence communities?

If you are majoring in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science and want to develop novel solutions in the field of wireless and wired communications, we'd love to have you join our team!

We are seeking interns to help us craft communication systems for highly impactful missions. Our team is committed to solving problems and building capabilities that will transition to operational prototypes.

As a member of our team, you will learn to...

• Support the development of potential future concepts and technological solutions to advance assured global connectivity
• Support the development of modeling and simulation (M&S) tools and conduct analyses to evaluate the performance of specific communication and networking systems.
• Work with technologies that may include, wired, wireless (RF & optical) links, line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) links, SATCOM, IP networking, RF systems, protocols, software defined radio (SDR), 5G cellular and cognitive radio.
• Work with software technologies and frameworks including but not limited to Flask, ZMQ, Protobuf, GNURadio, Docker and Ansible
• Research, advance, and apply new technologies to enable the evolution of existing communication and networking systems to increase resilience, security and operational flexibility.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Have experience in and/or have knowledge of software design using any of the three: Python, C/C++, MALTAB
• Are interested developing skills related to digital signal processing, communication theory, physics.
• Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearancy by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Secret level 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.
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Have classroom or professional work experience with software defined radios, operational communication systems, client to server or server to server architectures, developing middleware or distributed software.
• Knowledge of networking protocols and technologies and how they interact with other systems, or communication systems across the PHY/MAC layers.

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 www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

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.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. 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. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.