2026 Internship - Human Centered Design

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 art and science?

Do you have a growing understanding of design thinking or 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 Operations & Threat Assessment Group is seeking an intern to be a member of multi-disciplinary teams in the discovery, design and development of innovative solutions for complex problems to improve the lives of our end-users. Our teams use human-centered design approaches to tackle complex challenges in strategic planning, process improvement, product design, and service delivery for the DoD. You'll be joining our team of problem solvers to research and analyze the challenge space, and conceptualize and develop high-impact concepts.

In this role you will:

• Work with cross-functional teams developing critical concepts for our sponsors
• Be immersed in the problem space through interviews, observations, and research to understand user needs, pain points, and context
• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to uncover patterns, insights, and opportunity areas
• Contribute to design workshops and co-creation sessions with users, stakeholders, and technical experts
• Build low-fidelity prototypes and experiments to test ideas with users

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

• Are pursuing a degree in Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking, 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
• Enjoy working on teams and feel comfortable facilitating collaboration across disciplines
• Have a foundational understanding (or burning curiosity) around methods like human-centered design, systems thinking, product design, or service design
• Have a passion for building team culture, driving innovation, and building/executing strategic initiatives
• Love solving hard problems through iteration, learning, and creativity
• 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 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 human-centered design, 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.)
• Are confident using Miro, Figma, or other collaborative or design tools
• 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.