Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

AI/ML Platform Engineer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab • $85K — $195K *
Laurel, MD 20707In-Person
Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
1 month ago
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Math, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
  • 2+ years in software engineering, machine learning, or related areas
  • Experience building production or production-adjacent LLM-powered or agent-based systems
  • Strong proficiency in Python and ML stack (PyTorch, NumPy, pandas)
  • Hands-on experience with LangChain and/or LangGraph
  • Ability to translate mathematical concepts into efficient code
  • Work experience with containerization using Podman or Docker
  • Ability to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Work at the intersection of software engineering, data science, and ML to create scalable solutions
  • Design and build multi-agent and single-agent systems using modern open-source frameworks
  • Fine-tune LLMs for specific applications and prepare training data
  • Research and prototype ML algorithms; measure performance rigorously
  • Interact with various data types for algorithm training and testing
  • Create effective visualizations and documentation to explain complex topics

Benefits

  • Innovative work environment at the forefront of missile defense
  • Collaboration with a team of engineers and scientists
  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI/ML challenges
  • Involvement in the development of scalable and operation-ready solutions
  • Clear career progression opportunities within a government-affiliated organization
Full Job Description
We are seeking a highly motivated AI/ML platform engineer who will contribute to solving cutting edge challenges that didn't exist until recently - integrating agents with enterprise tools, fine-tuning models for regulated use cases, and building the operational discipline that keeps AI systems reliable as the underlying technology changes monthly. You will be joining a team of engineers and scientists who are at the forefront of APL's mission to provide innovative solutions to critical challenges in the area of missile defense.

As an AI/ML Platform Engineer...
  • You will work at the intersection of software engineering, data science, and machine learning, to turn experimental models into scalable, operation-ready solutions.
  • You will design and build multi-agent and single-agent systems using modern open-source frameworks (e.g.: LangChain/LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, and their successors) that automate and augment work across our enterprise and developer tools.
  • You will fine-tune LLMs for specific applications using modern techniques (e.g.: LoRA). Prepare training data, run training jobs on shared infrastructure, evaluate results against task-specific benchmarks, and hand off to the ML team's serving platform.
  • You will research and prototype ML algorithms for specific production tasks, measure their performance and limitations rigorously, and produce clear assessments of their robustness and the confidence we can place in them.
  • You will interact with various data types, formats, and structures in a clear and appropriate manner for algorithm training and testing and perform any data cleaning, normalization, or manipulation as needed.
  • You will create effective visualizations and comprehensive documentation to explain complex topics to a variety of audiences.

Qualifications

You meet the minimum requirements for the job if you...
  • Possess a Bachelor's degree in Math, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a related field.
  • Have 2+ years of experience in software engineering, machine learning, or relevant fields.
  • Have experience building production or production-adjacent LLM-powered or agent-based systems.
  • Have strong proficiency in Python, including the scientific/ML stack (PyTorch or similar, NumPy, pandas).
  • Have hands-on experience with LangChain and/or LangGraph.
  • Have the ability to translate mathematical concepts into well-documented and efficient code.
  • Have work experience with containerization and running containers using Podman or Docker.
  • Can effectively communicate ideas and results.
  • Are able to obtain an Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain Secret level 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...
  • Have a Master's or PhD in Engineering, Math, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • Have 4+ years of experience in designing and implementing AI/ML algorithms for a variety of datasets.
  • Are competent in a wide variety of programming languages, including MATLAB, C++, Python, and Java, on both Linux and Windows platforms.
  • Have experience using high-performance computing structures like GPU 's and CPU clusters.
  • Have work experience with statistical modeling, computer vision, autonomy, deep networks, adversarial networks, or optimization.
  • Have work experience with MLOps and associated tools, like MLflow, DVC, or LakeFS.
  • Have the ability to obtain a Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance.

Minimum Rate

$85,000 Annually

Maximum Rate

$195,000 Annually

About Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a research and development organization that provides solutions to national security and scientific challenges. The laboratory was founded in 1942 and is located in Laurel, Maryland. APL is a division of the Johns Hopkins University and is a not-for-profit organization. The laboratory has expertise in a variety of areas, including space exploration, national security, and healthcare.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
Size
7,000 employees
Industry
Information Technology
Founded
1942
* Ladders Estimates

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