Design Manager (Onsite)

Pratt & Whitney; Middletown (CT); On-site; USD 108,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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

Holidays

Job summary

Pratt & Whitney in Middletown, CT seeks a Design Manager for the Hot Section Engineering (HSE) team within ESTO. You will provide technical and organizational leadership for engineering strategy and execution, supporting production rotor hardware and strengthening capabilities across ESTO.

You will lead and develop a team of design engineers, drive solutions that meet production needs, and advance process improvements while balancing schedule, cost and risk.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering from ABET-accredited institution with 8 years of relevant engineering experience or advanced degree with 5 years.
• Experience leading engineering teams and cross-functional technical teams in a dynamic production environment.
• Experience with production support, producibility, continuous improvement, and cost-of-quality initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of design engineers supporting rotor hardware, establishing priorities, providing technical direction, and building engineering capability through targeted coaching, mentoring, and development plans.
• Establish and execute the production support strategy for the rotor hardware family, using engineering fundamentals, producibility data, Pro-Cert methodology, and lessons learned to drive timely, right-sized technical solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement across the ESTO design engineering organization by identifying opportunities for automation, process efficiency, and elimination of repetitive tasks and incorporating lessons learned into the product development cycle.
• Lead resource planning and assignment for Pratt & Whitney and outsourced engineering support, forecasting demand, addressing manpower gaps, and balancing resources to meet program and production requirements.
• Make risk-based technical and business decisions in a highly visible production environment, balancing engineering rigor, timeliness, cost, and hardware risk while communicating status, risks, and recommendations to cross-functional leadership and customers.
• Travel Requirement: 20% (Domestic and International).

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (ABET-accredited)

Advanced degree in related engineering field

Job description

Location: US-CT-MIDDLETOWN-130 ~ Aircraft Rd ~ BLDG 130

Date Posted: 2026-08-18

Country: United States of America

Position Role Type: Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements: U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Security Clearance Type: None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status: Not Required

At RTX, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power systems and has been revolutionizing modern flight for over 100 years. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Pratt & Whitney is seeking a Design Manager to join our Hot Section Engineering (HSE) team within the Engineering Support to Operations (ESTO) organization. Based at our Compressor System Module Center facility in Middletown, CT, you will provide technical and organizational leadership for the engineering strategy and execution supporting our production rotor hardware family. You will lead and develop a team of design engineers, drive engineering solutions that support production needs, and strengthen the team’s technical capabilities while advancing process improvements across the ESTO organization.

What You Will Do:

• Lead and develop a team of design engineers supporting rotor hardware, establishing priorities, providing technical direction, and building engineering capability through targeted coaching, mentoring, and development plans.
• Establish and execute the production support strategy for the rotor hardware family, using engineering fundamentals, producibility data, Pro-Cert methodology, and lessons learned to drive timely, right-sized technical solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement across the ESTO design engineering organization by identifying opportunities for automation, process efficiency, and elimination of repetitive tasks and incorporating lessons learned into the product development cycle.
• Lead resource planning and assignment for Pratt & Whitney and outsourced engineering support, forecasting demand, addressing manpower gaps, and balancing resources to meet program and production requirements.
• Make risk-based technical and business decisions in a highly visible production environment, balancing engineering rigor, timeliness, cost, and hardware risk while communicating status, risks, and recommendations to cross-functional leadership and customers.
• Travel Requirement: 20% (Domestic and International).
• Support non-standard work hours when necessary to safely and efficiently meet production demand.

What You Will Learn:

• Gain leadership experience managing and developing design engineers supporting complex aerospace hardware in a production environment.
• Develop expertise in Hot Section rotor hardware, producibility, production support, and cost-of-quality improvement.
• Strengthen skills in risk-based engineering decision-making, right-sized analysis, and data-driven problem-solving.
• Gain experience managing internal and outsourced engineering resources while balancing production demand, technical priorities, and organizational needs.
• Build executive and customer-facing communication skills through cross-functional collaboration, technical presentations, and high-visibility production support activities.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field from an ABET-accredited institution and 8 years of relevant engineering experience, or an Advanced degree in a related field and 5 years of relevant engineering experience.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience designing, developing, and supporting Hot Section or rotor hardware.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams and/or cross-functional technical teams, with the ability to prioritize multiple teams, hardware groups, and competing production requirements in a dynamic environment.
• Experience with production support, producibility, continuous improvement, and/or cost-of-quality initiatives.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage engineers, cross-functional partners, leadership, and customers.
• Experience working effectively across internal and outsourced engineering organizations, balancing resources and priorities to achieve business and production objectives.

Engineering Support to Operations (ESTO)

ESTO provides dedicated support by eliminating quality notifications, escapes, works stops and enabling producibility and delivery of legacy and new parts, assemblies, modules, and engines. ESTO covers all engine programs and part families, enabling engine deliveries, first piece reviews, first article inspections, analysis automation, process certification. ESTO also supports the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) initiative in Operations. Technical disciplines in ESTO include Project Engineering, Mechanical Design, Structural Analysis, Product Definition, and Manufacturing Engineering.

Hot Section Engineering (HSE)

HSE is responsible for the design, development, technology maturation and in service support of all diffuser cases, combustors, turbines (vanes, blades, rotors and cases), augmenters (military), nozzles and associated fuel systems for all military, commercial and industrial engine models and radial auxiliary power units. Technical disciplines in HSE include Project Engineering, Mechanical Design, Structural Analysis, Durability and Product Definition.

• 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.

Candidates will learn more about role type and current site status throughout the recruiting process. For onsite and hybrid roles, commuting to and from the assigned site is the employee’s personal responsibility.

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 107,500 USD - 204,500 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.

• 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
• 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.

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