Senior Principal Avionics Systems Engineer (Onsite)

RTX•Cedar Rapids, IA

2d•$132,400 - $251,600•Onsite

About The Position

RTX Collins Aerospace is seeking a Senior Principal Systems Engineer with a passion for avionics systems engineering, strong accountability, and the ability to thrive in an Agile team environment. The role defines, designs, develops, integrates, and tests new features for OEM aircraft platforms, supports OEM flight test campaigns and certification activities, and is expected to supervise Integrated Product Teams. It requires advanced knowledge of aircraft systems as defined in ATA chapters and a focus on designing safety into systems under development. The engineer will develop innovative solutions for engineering development and product and system certification with regulatory agencies. The position leads engineering work throughout the development life cycle, from systems design through testing and delivery. It includes capturing and allocating OEM requirements, developing systems architecture and human-machine interface requirements, leading design reviews, creating verification and validation methods, preparing certification artifacts, and supporting customer audits and inquiries. The role also leads issue investigations and corrective actions, manages engineering scope, schedule, cost, and resources, and coordinates cross-functional teams with Collins experts and customer engineers. This is an onsite role based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The position is U.S.-based and does not require a security clearance. RTX may offer immigration sponsorship if needed and will seek export authorization if required. The salary range is $132,400–$251,600 USD, with offer amounts depending on factors such as experience, location, education, and skills.

Requirements

Typically, a STEM degree and at least 10 years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree in a related field and at least 7 years of experience.
Advanced knowledge of avionics systems on civilian commercial aircraft.
Deep experience leading avionics engineering development phases.
Broad experience leading customer-facing engineering teams.
Deep engineering experience interacting and communicating with commercial aircraft OEMs.
Practical, proven experience capturing design change proposals and leading feature development from inception to delivery.
Proven ability to interpret and manage requirements, interface control documents, CONOPS, technical specifications, TRDs, and verification matrices.
Successful experience as a systems project engineer creating bids and presenting them to all levels of leadership.
Experience using JIRA, JAMA, and DOORS, and working with the Agile process.
Deep knowledge of aircraft certification standards, including ARP-4754, DO-178B/C, and DO-160.
Experience working with FAA TCRs, TCCA, and EASA.
Deep, demonstrated experience designing avionics systems architectures.
Experience interacting with commercial airline end users at their base of operations or at Flight Operations Steering Committee meetings.

Nice To Haves

Flight Management Systems (FMS) testing experience.
Private Pilot License; IFR rating is a plus.
Drone Flight Certification.
A&P License.
Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C/C++, or Java.
Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

Lead engineering duties across the development life cycle, from systems design through systems testing and delivery.
Lead requirements capture from aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Decompose and allocate requirements to appropriate Collins Aerospace domains.
Lead the creation of innovative design approaches and prototypes.
Lead presentations and reviews of design approaches internally and with OEMs.
Lead the creation of test procedures and analysis methods to verify and validate requirements.
Support preparation of certification artifacts, including Systems Certification Summaries, TSO compliance reports, and process-compliance materials.
Lead creation of artifacts supporting Stages of Involvement (SOI) 1, 2, 3, and 4 and TSO submittals.
Interpret and participate in ARP-4754 customer audits.
Provide leadership in responding to customer questions and investigating issues related to software and hardware delivered to OEMs.
Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) efforts for must-fix issues found during flight tests and in-service aircraft operations.
Support management of scope, schedule, and cost while optimizing engineering resources.
Lead cross-functional integrated product team development involving Collins engineering subject matter experts and customer engineers.
Communicate engineering design solutions orally and in writing with customers, engineers, technicians, pilots, and leadership.
Lead development of systems architecture and human-machine interface requirements for new aircraft development.
Lead Change Impact Analysis for HIRF and Lightning qualification (DO-160).

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees.
401(k) plan with employer matching funds and a separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option.
Tuition reimbursement program.
Student Loan Repayment Program.
Life insurance and disability coverage.
Optional pet, home and auto, additional life and accident, critical illness, group legal, and identity theft protection coverages.
Birth, adoption, and parental leave benefits.
Carrot Health services for hormonal health, fertility, and family building.
Adoption Assistance.
Autism Benefit.
Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions.
Healthy You Incentives wellness rewards program.
Doctor on Demand virtual doctor visits.
Bright Horizons child and elder care services.
Teladoc Medical Experts second-opinion program.
Flexible spending accounts.
Flexible work schedules.
Paid time off and holidays.
Potential annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation, depending on position level and collective-bargaining coverage; payments are not guaranteed.