2026 Internship - Human-Centered Design & Engineering

Do you get energized by working with teams to tackle difficult challenges and rapidly deliver human-centered solutions?

Do you consider yourself both a right-brained and left-brained thinker with an appreciation for design and engineering?

Do you have a growing understanding of innovation methods and techniques, and are looking to learn more about different processes and approaches?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team for the summer at APL.

The Design Thinking Group is seeking a dynamic intern to join our multi-disciplinary teams in the discovery, design, and development of innovative solutions to address complex challenges and improve the lives of end-users.

Our work blends design thinking and systems thinking to drive front-end innovation across different areas, including strategic planning, technology development, product design, and user experience design.

As an intern, you'll collaborate with a team of passionate problem solvers who leverage human-centered design methodologies to imagine, test, and refine impactful ideas. You'll have the opportunity to explore big questions, create meaningful solutions, and contribute to projects that place people at the center of every challenge.

We believe that the best solutions come from authentic collaboration, intellectual humility, and relentless curiosity. If you're eager to learn, experiment, and make a difference, we'd love for you to bring your creativity and energy to our team.

In this role you will:

• Work with cross-functional teams develop critical concepts for our sponsors
• Assist the team in conducting mixed methods user research and advocate for the voice of the user
• Analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to uncover insights and opportunity areas for innovation
• Participate and facilitate ideation sessions with groups of users to develop solutions for a wide variety of challenges
• Work with a project team to develop experiments and prototypes to test with users

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

• Are pursuing a degree in Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Human Factors Engineering, Interaction Design, User Experience Design, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Web Development, Game Development, Human Computer Interaction or a related field with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale

• Have the ability to work independently and with teams of collaborators
• Have a passion for building team culture, driving innovation, and building/executing strategic initiatives
• Possess excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Hold an Active Secret clearance or above, or are able to obtain Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain a 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 a Bachelors 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 design thinking, agile, lean six sigma, lean start up, and user-centered design
• Have familiarity with collaboration methodologies from industry (e.g. Google Sprint, LUMA, etc.)
• Have experience with ethnographic 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 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.