Senior Search Engineer (Enterprise Search)

Description Are you passionate about building high-quality search experiences that help users quickly find the information they need? Do you enjoy working hands-on with search technologies while also shaping architecture and guiding technical direction? If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL. We are seeking a Senior Search Engineer to help lead the design and evolution of our enterprise search capabilities. In this role, you will operate as a hands-on technical expert—designing, building, and improving search solutions across SharePoint, legacy systems, and modern platforms—while helping guide architecture, standards, and best practices. As a Senior Search Engineer, you will... Design, implement, and enhance enterprise search solutions across multiple platforms Lead the technical design of search architecture, balancing long-term direction with practical implementation Configure, administer, and tune enterprise search platforms, including SharePoint search Improve search relevance, ranking, and overall user experience through iterative tuning and analysis Define and implement metadata models, taxonomies, and managed properties Qualifications You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you... Possess a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience) Have 6+ years of experience in software engineering or application development Have strong experience working across the full software development lifecycle Have hands-on experience with enterprise search platforms (e.g., SharePoint search or similar) Demonstrate strong understanding of search fundamentals (indexing, ranking, relevance, metadata) Have experience with web technologies (e.g., JavaScript, REST APIs, .NET or similar frameworks) Have experience supporting and troubleshooting production systems Are comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with engineering teams Demonstrate strong problem-solving and communication skills Are able to obtain Secret level security 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... Have experience with Microsoft Search, or hybrid search architectures Have exposure to modern search platforms (e.g., Elasticsearch, Solr, or similar) Have experience improving search relevance and tuning ranking models in production systems Have worked with metadata strategy, taxonomy design, and information architecture Have experience modernizing or stabilizing legacy platforms Have worked in environments with strong governance, security, or compliance requirements Have exposure to emerging search approaches (e.g., semantic or vector-based search) About Us 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. Minimum Rate $105,000 Annually Maximum Rate $290,000 Annually Are you passionate about building high-quality search experiences that help users quickly find the information they need? Do you enjoy working hands-on with search technologies while also shaping architecture and guiding technical direction? If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL. We are seeking a Senior Search Engineer to help lead the design and evolution of our enterprise search capabilities. In this role, you will operate as a hands-on technical expert-designing, building, and improving search solutions across SharePoint, legacy systems, and modern platforms-while helping guide architecture, standards, and best practices. As a Senior Search Engineer, you will... Design, implement, and enhance enterprise search solutions across multiple platforms Lead the technical design of search architecture, balancing long-term direction with practical implementation Configure, administer, and tune enterprise search platforms, including SharePoint search Improve search relevance, ranking, and overall user experience through iterative tuning and analysis Define and implement metadata models, taxonomies, and managed properties You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you... Possess a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience) Have 6+ years of experience in software engineering or application development Have strong experience working across the full software development lifecycle Have hands-on experience with enterprise search platforms (e.g., SharePoint search or similar) Demonstrate strong understanding of search fundamentals (indexing, ranking, relevance, metadata) Have experience with web technologies (e.g., JavaScript, REST APIs, .NET or similar frameworks) Have experience supporting and troubleshooting production systems Are comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with engineering teams Demonstrate strong problem-solving and communication skills Are able to obtain Secret level security 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... Have experience with Microsoft Search, or hybrid search architectures Have exposure to modern search platforms (e.g., Elasticsearch, Solr, or similar) Have experience improving search relevance and tuning ranking models in production systems Have worked with metadata strategy, taxonomy design, and information architecture Have experience modernizing or stabilizing legacy platforms Have worked in environments with strong governance, security, or compliance requirements Have exposure to emerging search approaches (e.g., semantic or vector-based search)