Principal Composites Engineer (Onsite)

Prattwhitney; East Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 107,500 - 204,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability coverage

401(k) match

Flexible spending accounts

Flexible work schedules

Parental leave

Paid time off

Job summary

Pratt & Whitney is seeking a Composites Engineer for the Military Composites team in the Compression Systems Engineering organization, focused on design and analysis of composite fan components for military engines and advanced programs.

You will perform FEA, CAD modeling, select materials, support manufacturability, and mentor junior engineers, with about 10% travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 8+ years of relevant Defense/Aerospace experience, or Advanced Degree with 5+ years.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain DoD Secret clearance.
• Proficiency with CAD software (NX) and CAE tools (HyperMesh, ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran).
• Experience with non-destructive testing methods for composites; strong mechanical design and GD&T skills.

Responsibilities

• Design/structures engineer for composite fan components on military engines and development programs.
• Provide design and structural analysis support through concept to detailed design, including validation and certification.
• Perform FEA on various ply models to ensure compliance with engine hardware requirements and testing correlation.
• Assist manufacturing development with suppliers and document results for management and customers.
• Mentor developing engineers and support travel (~10%).

Skills

Finite element analysis

Composite design

CAD (NX)

Team leadership

GDT/tolerancing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (8+ years)

Advanced Degree (5+ years)

Tools

NX

TeamCenter

HyperMesh

Ansys

Abaqus

Nastran

Patran

Job description

Overview

Location: United States – Hartford, CT (US-CT-EAST). Position type: Onsite. Role: Composites Engineer – Military Composites team within Compression Systems Engineering (CSE) at Pratt & Whitney.

Responsibilities

• Function as a design/structures engineer for composite fan components on a mix of operational military engines and advanced engine development programs.
• Provide design and structural analysis support throughout conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design phases, including validation, certification, manufacturing, and operational service.
• Select materials, determine laminate architecture, generate detail/assembly-level CAD models, and design sub-element components for empirical testing.
• Perform finite element analysis of homogeneous solid, layered shell, and layered solid (ply‑by‑ply) models to ensure compliance with engine hardware requirements and to support structural testing correlation/validation.
• Assist in manufacturing process development at suppliers and ensure manufacturability of component designs; document and present results to management and external customers.
• Support Military Engines and advanced engine designs while applying CORE (Customer Oriented Results & Excellence) tools within the Composites Organization.
• Mentor and coach developing engineers on the team.
• Travel: Approximately 10% travel is anticipated.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 8+ years of relevant experience in Defense/Aerospace or related industries, OR Advanced Degree in a related field with 5+ years of experience.
• U.S. citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance (DoD Secret) required.
• Proficiency with CAD software (e.g., NX, FiberSIM, TeamCenter).
• Experience with CAE software (e.g., Altair HyperMesh, Ansys MAPDL, Ansys Workbench/ACP, Abaqus, Nastran, Patran, NX Simcenter).
• Knowledge of non‑destructive testing methods for composites.
• Mechanical design experience, including bolted/mechanically fastened joints, GD&T, tolerance stack‑up, beam/plate theory, classical laminate theory (CLT), hand calculations, etc.
• Hands‑on composites manufacturing experience using hand‑layup, autoclave, compression molding, RTM, VARTM, and/or SQRTM techniques.
• Familiarity with advanced textile design and manufacturing.
• Strong problem‑solving, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills; track record of delivering positive results in a multi‑functional team environment.
• Experience with Agile and/or Waterfall project management frameworks.

What We Offer

Salary range: $107,500 USD – $204,500 USD. Salary is based on experience, function, and responsibilities. Additional benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term and long‑term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, parental leave, paid time off, holidays, and incentive compensation programs where applicable.

Equal Opportunity Employment

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. 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.