Principal Software Engineer Lead - High Energy Laser (HEL) Beam Director Product Owner

RTX•McKinney, TX

6d•$107,500 - $204,500•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced principal‑level software engineer with deep knowledge of real‑time embedded systems, EO/IR algorithms, and system‑level integration. The Principal Software Engineer Lead will be the product owner of High Energy Laser (HEL) Beam Director. This individual will serve as a senior leader and technical guide, providing disciplined development oversight, coordinating across engineering teams, and ensuring consistent progress across multiple fast‑moving baselines.

Requirements

Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant engineering experience.
Minimum 5-8 years of experience developing or supporting real‑time embedded software for mission‑critical systems.
Experience implementing and validating real‑time algorithms and supporting SW/HW integration on embedded platforms.
Experience communicating and collaborating with teams, translating technical considerations into clear and actionable guidance, and working in rapid‑execution and multi‑baseline programs.
Active and transferable Secret U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date with ability to obtain Special Program Access after start. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Active and transferable U.S. government issued Top Secret security clearance with Special Program Access.
Strong communication and collaboration skills
Demonstrated ability to guide technical development, mentor engineers, and lead software teams through complex lifecycle activities.
Proven effectiveness in rapid‑execution, multi‑baseline programs.
Experience with EO/IR or sensor‑based targeting systems.
Familiarity with agile processes including Scrum, Continuous Integration, and automated testing methods.
Familiarity with Artificial Intelligence aided development.
Experience coordinating across multiple product lines or quick‑reaction capability programs.
Demonstrated leadership experience, formal or informal, such as mentoring junior engineers, coordinating small technical initiatives, facilitating team collaboration, driving engineering best practices, and/or guiding peers toward successful delivery.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior technical leader capable of delegating and reviewing work from lower‑level engineers, ensuring disciplined implementation of major system algorithms including tracking, alignment, coordinate transformation, sensor line‑of‑sight, image alignment, and laser‑enabled operations.
Review code, validate algorithm behavior, communicate technical rationale clearly, and influence engineering practices and procedures to maintain steady program execution.
Provide senior‑level systems thinking and architectural support, including development of CONOPS, specification tree structures, and multi‑CSCI decomposition required to resolve complex customer‑critical issues.
Operate effectively with senior architects and technical fellows, integrating across disciplines and maintaining technical momentum with minimal oversight.
Apply subject‑matter expertise in system‑of‑systems architecture, inter‑CSCI and LRU interfaces, requirement flows, and hardware/software integration to drive clarity across sensor and processing capabilities.
Lead the agile execution of software technical scope across all program baselines, ensuring coordinated planning, prioritized backlog execution, and alignment with evolving product‑line objectives.
Collaborate closely with senior systems engineers and cross‑functional technical leads to support integration, verification, and delivery across Archerfish, Apache, and MQ-9 simultaneous efforts.