Assistant Group Supervisor - Artificial Intelligence Research

Are you a thought leader in AI with a burning desire to serve a bigger purpose?

Are you excited by the challenge of leading and mentoring researchers while continuing to push the boundaries of AI yourself?

Do you want your work to address the pressing challenges facing our nation's security and prosperity?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to be the Assistant Group Supervisor for the Artificial Intelligence Group at JHU/APL! Our team works at the intersection of AI research and national defense, tackling problems that few other institutions are trusted to solve. Our current priorities include:

• Improving alignment of AI agents used in human-machine teaming and wargaming
• Training multimodal foundation models on language and sensor data
• Intelligent robots that use agentic AI to perform complex tasks in a self-directed way
• Assessing, mitigating, and exploiting vulnerabilities of frontier models
• Mission-driven test and evaluation (T&E) of novel research

As Assistant Group Supervisor, you will be both a hands-on researcher and a leader of exceptional people. You'll advance research in your own area of expertise - publishing and presenting your work, and partnering with sponsors to bring new ideas into practice. At the same time, you'll help grow the next generation of technical leaders by mentoring front-line supervisors, fostering a collaborative research culture, and ensuring our staff have the resources and support they need to thrive.

This dual responsibility makes the role ideal for someone who wants to grow as a leader while remaining deeply engaged in technical work. You'll work with the Group Supervisor and Chief Scientist to shape APL's AI strategy, guide proposals to sponsors, and cultivate future leaders who are visionary, inspirational, courageous, impactful, and resilient. Most importantly, you'll play a vital role in bridging cutting-edge AI with mission-critical problems - advancing the state of the art while making a meaningful difference for national security. This is challenging work, and we value leaders who set high standards for themselves and others, while fostering a culture that enables people to sustain that effort and thrive over the long term.

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

• Have a PhD in a field related to AI.
• Have 10+ years of experience in AI research, engineering, or test and evaluation (T&E).
• Are proficient in Python programming with experience using PyTorch and/or Jax, including Hugging Face libraries (transformers, diffusers, datasets, tokenizers, etc.).
• Have a strong record of peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals and/or conferences.
• Demonstrated skills in leadership, organization, and planning.
• Are able to obtain an Interim Top Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a Top 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 stand out if you:

• Have held a formal technical supervision or line management role.
• Have worked in government labs, research agencies, or frontier AI companies.
• Have a track record of building impactful collaborations across academia, government, or industry that led sustained research or technology transition.
• Already hold a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

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 of perspectives 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.

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 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.

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.