2027 Internship - Human-Centered Design & Engineering

Are you looking to work with interdisciplinary teams to solve complex national security challenges using Human-Centered Design principles?

Do you have a passion for ensuring the solution to these challenges are crafted based on real user needs and wants?

If so, we would love to have you join the Human Centered Design group for the summer here at APL!

Our group's mission is to deliver tangible, end-to-end solutions that integrate user insight, creative problem solving, and systems thinking to empower decision dominance for warfighters and mission partners. Through relentless curiosity, radical partnerships, and an unwavering responsibility to those we serve, we deliver innovations that translate into decisive advantage, operational resilience, and decision dominance for our nation. We envision a future where human centered design is not just a process but a pursuit of whatought to be, driven by creativity, empathy, and bold experimentation.

As a member of our team, you will:

• Conduct analogous and user research through interviews and other user engagements
• Plan and facilitate co-design workshops for users and stakeholders
• Collect and analyze qualitative data using human centered design methodologies to uncover user needs and pain points
• Work in interdisciplinary teams to translate user needs and pain points into requirements
• Support the design of deliverables spanning from digital interfaces to physical prototypes, physical spaces, and processes
• Wireframing, rapid prototyping, testing, and implementation

You meet our minimum qualifications if you...

• Are pursuing a degree in Human Centered Design, Human Centered Computing, Human Computer Interactions, UX/UI, Product Design, Human Systems Engineering, Human Factors Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering or Design, Organizational Behavior, Public Policy, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Anthropology, User Experience Design, Business Administration or a related field with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Have a foundational understanding of human centered design methods and principles, systems thinking, product design, or service design
• Have a passion for building team culture, driving innovation, and building/executing strategic initiatives
• Possess excellent oral and written communication skills
• Are able to obtain 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...

• Hold an Active Secret clearance or above
• Hold a Bachelor's Degree or higher in any of the disciplines listed above (or an equivalent field)
• Have experience or coursework in human-centered design methodologies such as human-centered design, design thinking, agile, lean six sigma, lean start up, and user-centered design
• Have experience with collaboration methodologies from industry (e.g. Google Sprint, LUMA, etc.)
• Have experience using Miro, Axure, Figma, or other collaborative or design tools
• Have experience with human subject research and synthesis
• Have experience with rapid prototyping and user testing

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 athttps://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 contactAccessibility@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.