Senior Principal Systems Engineer – Principal Investigator (Onsite)

Job description

**Date Posted:**

2025-08-19
**Country:**

United States of America
**Location:**

HIA32: Cedar Rapids, IA 400 Collins Rd NE
, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52498-0505 USA
**Position Role Type:**

Onsite
**U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:**

The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required.​
U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance
**Security Clearance:**

DoD Clearance: TS/SCI

Sr Principal Systems Engineer – Principal Investigator (Onsite) – Advanced Technology & Capabilities

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry.

Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio, and expertise to solve customers’ toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market.

This position is part of the Networking & Emerging Capabilities team within the Collins Advanced Technology & Capabilities organization.

In this role, you will lead a portfolio of related projects—coordinating technology roadmaps, guiding development efforts, and pursuing external funding opportunities.

You will be responsible for shaping the vision and ideation of next-generation wireless networking technologies.

As an Advanced Technology engineer, you will join a team of highly innovative engineers who are inventing, developing, integrating, and demonstrating novel networking and radio software concepts and capabilities.

These solutions can rapidly progress from concept to field demonstration to deployed product.

The applicant must be creative; highly self-motivated; and have strong interpersonal, communication and networking skills.

You will collaborate with software, cyber, firmware, and hardware engineers.

The most successful Advanced Technology engineers are eager to learn, quick to dive into complex technical challenges, self-directed, comfortable with ambiguous problem spaces, and highly motivated.

**What You Will Do:**

+ Leading the development of advanced networking systems/subsystems and developing innovative strategies
+ Leading the pursuit of new business opportunities, targeting research organizations such as DARPA, ONR, AFRL, Army Research Labs, etc.
+ Architect / Engineer leading the development and execution of external technology R&D programs as well as Mission Systems Advanced Technology internal research and development IR&D projects
+ Support estimating, tracking, and reporting status relating to technical, cost, schedule, and risk performance for work spanning across multiple projects.
+ Design, develop, integrate, demonstrate, and test advanced networking or radio software systems/subsystems
+ Excellent verbal/written communication and teamwork skills
+ Demonstrated problem-solving and decision-making skills
+ Demonstrated capability in a fast-paced, dynamic, creative work environment
+ Highly motivated, enthusiastic, and works well with others
+ Travel required up to 15% of the time

**Qualifications You Must Have:**

+ Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 10 years prior relevant experience **or** an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 7 years of experience
+ Proficient in embedded software development (C, C++, Rust, Python, Bash)
+ Strong understanding of Linux and development in a Linux environment
+ Advanced knowledge of networking concepts and technologies (eg IPv4, IPv6, Routing, Multicast, NAT, TCP, UDP, OLSR, OSPF, PIM, IPSec, VPN, ACLs, ToS and QoS, etc.)
+ Experience with build tools, version control systems, and containerized development environments
+ Subject matter expert for software defined radio (SDR) systems

**Qualifications We Prefer:**

+ PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related degree
+ Currently holds a DoD Top Secret security clearance
+ Extensive experience writing software for networked applications, networking stack protocol implementation, and board support packages (BSPs).
+ Aptitude in network design and architecture, scalability modeling and simulation
+ Basic understanding of radio frequency (RF) concepts
+ Aptitude in system requirements definition
+ Experience integrating embedded software with FPGA/firmware
+ Strong experience with Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks, Tactical Data Links, or waveform software
+ Experience with AI/ML

Do you want to be a part of something bigger?

A team whose impact stretches across the world, and even beyond?

At Collins Aerospace, our Mission Systems team helps civilian, military and government customers complete their most complex missions — whatever and wherever they may be.

Our customers depend on us for intelligent and secure communications, missionized systems for specialized aircraft and spacecraft and collaborative space solutions.

By joining our team, you’ll have your own critical part to play in ensuring our customer succeeds today while anticipating their needs for tomorrow.

Are you up for the challenge?

Join our mission today.

**What We Offer:**

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:

+ Medical, dental, and vision insurance
+ Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees
+ Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer
+ retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option
+ Tuition reimbursement program
+ Student Loan Repayment Program
+ Life insurance and disability coverage
+ Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
+ Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
+ Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning
+ 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
+ And more!

**Learn more and apply now!**

*Please ensure the role type (defined below) is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role.

**Onsite:** Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite.

This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products.

Apply now and be part of the team that’s redefining aerospace, every day.

The salary range for this role is 124,000 USD - 250,000 USD.

The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels.
RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays.

Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role.

If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted.

However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

_RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class.

RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act._

**Privacy Policy and Terms:**

Click on this link (http://www.rtx.com/privacy/Job-Applicant-Privacy-Notice) to read the Policy and Terms
Raytheon Technologies is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.

Required Skill Profession

Other General