Job opportunities

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Careers at APL-UW span across research and engineering, field and technical roles, software, principal investigators, business operations and administration, postdocs, internships, and more.

Every member of the Applied Physics Laboratory, from brand-new team members to long-timers celebrating decades of work at the lab, is critical to the development of cutting-edge, impactful research. And our everyday work is all the more interesting because of it! Apply now for a role where your skills make a difference.

Be Boundless!

Be Boundless at the University of Washington as a UW employee! You can build a fulfilling and impactful career while enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest with an all-encompassing compensation and benefits package and limitless professional growth opportunities.

See Yourself at APL!

Take advantage of those opportunities and more at the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington. As an APL-UW employee, you not only get to enjoy the opportunities and benefits of UW, but also be a member of a team of world-renowned researchers, scientists, and engineers dedicated to bettering our campuses, state, country, and world by solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies.

Questions? Visit our Common Questions page to learn more.

Featured job

Contractor Special Security Officer | REQ-0000137038

See Yourself at APL as a member of the Security Department! We are seeking a Contractor Special Security Officer to provide strategic leadership and executive oversight of the Applied Physics Laboratory’s compartmented security program. In this role, you will serve as the University’s principal advisor for compartmented security, and build collaborative partnerships to balance regulatory compliance, operational priorities, organizational risk, resource constraints, and mission objectives.

If you are an external applicant, click the job title above to learn more or apply. If you are a current UW employee, log in to Workday and use the Jobs Hub app.

View Job
  • Posted: September 18, 2026
  • Closing: Open Until Filled

Career opportunities

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Electrical Hardware Design Engineer 4 | REQ-0000138445

APL-UW has an exciting opportunity to apply YOUR Electrical Engineering expertise! APL’s Ocean Engineering Department seeks candidates as Electrical Hardware Design Engineer 4. The role will lead electrical hardware engineering for the full lifecycle development of sophisticated research instrumentation and electrical systems, from concept development and requirements definition through design, integration, testing, deployment, and long-term operational support. Impacting a diverse portfolio of oceanographic, marine robotics, marine renewable energy, and acoustic instrumentation projects, requires the application of advanced engineering principles to solve complex technical challenges in demanding operational environments.

Applicants that can meet the minimum requirements below (or a combination of equivalent education and/or experience) are strongly encouraged to APPLY.

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Ocean Engineering, or a related field and six years of relevant experience.

Engineering • Research

Software Engineer | REQ-0000138000

Bring your software development expertise to an entirely new world of possibility! The Software Engineer will be an integral member of the Ocean Engineering department, working with Principal Investigators across the Applied Physics Laboratory to design, build, and deploy embedded software systems supporting oceanographic, acoustic, marine renewal energy, autonomous vehicle, and marine robotics research. Research project sponsors include the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, Department of Defense, and collaborations with departments across the University of Washington and with universities across the United States.

Click on the job title to learn more and apply!

Research • Software/Programming

Senior Information Systems Security Officer | REQ-0000137376

Join APL’s secure computing team! The Applied Physics Laboratory seeks a Senior Information Systems Security Officer to support the secure operation, administration, compliance, and continuous protection of classified information systems. You will lead journeyman-level IT team members in support of classified information systems security operations.

If you are an external applicant, click the job title above to learn more or apply. If you are a current UW employee, log in to Workday and use the Jobs Hub app.

Administrative • Business Operations • Research
  • Posted: September 23, 2026
  • Closing: Open Until Filled

Postdoctoral Scholar in Physical Oceanography 4D-Var Modeling | Req #193554

The Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington (APL-UW) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar in physical oceanography focused on numerical ocean modeling, ocean data assimilation, and computational methods for understanding and predicting regional and coastal ocean circulation. This is a full-time position for 2 years, with the possibility of a 3rd year renewal.

Learn more and apply!

Research

Contractor Special Security Representative | REQ-0000137052

Join an organization where you can align your efforts with the mission! The Security Department in the Applied Physics Laboratory is seeking a Contractor Special Security Representative. In this position, you will administer SCI security, personnel security, classified information management, SCIF operations, and related security activities that directly support the Laboratory’s classified research mission.

If you are an external applicant, click the job title above to learn more or apply. If you are a current UW employee, log in to Workday and use the Jobs Hub app.

Administrative • Business Operations • Research
  • Posted: September 18, 2026
  • Closing: Open Until Filled

Contractor Special Security Officer | REQ-0000137038

See Yourself at APL as a member of the Security Department! We are seeking a Contractor Special Security Officer to provide strategic leadership and executive oversight of the Applied Physics Laboratory’s compartmented security program. In this role, you will serve as the University’s principal advisor for compartmented security, and build collaborative partnerships to balance regulatory compliance, operational priorities, organizational risk, resource constraints, and mission objectives.

If you are an external applicant, click the job title above to learn more or apply. If you are a current UW employee, log in to Workday and use the Jobs Hub app.

Administrative • Business Operations • Research
  • Posted: September 18, 2026
  • Closing: Open Until Filled