Principal Design Engineer (Onsite)

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

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation eligibility

Job summary

Pratt & Whitney’s East Hartford site seeks a Principal Design Engineer to support the Commercial Fan Blade Design Team in East Hartford, CT. You will provide production and engineering support for fan blade airfoils, driving improvements and solving manufacturing issues with cross-functional teams.

The role emphasizes corrective actions, MRB support, supplier coordination, and advancing toward SME responsibilities while ensuring producibility and quality in production deliverables.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of relevant engineering experience, or an advanced degree with 5+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Experience in design, manufacturing, production or technical problem-solving.
• BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering is preferred.
• Experience with fan blades, airfoils, MRB, engineering changes, supplier support or manufacturing problem resolution.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, leadership, cultural-awareness and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead corrective-action activities, Quality Notifications (QNs), Class II engineering changes, Cost of Poor Quality initiatives, and producibility improvements to improve quality, cost, and production performance.
• Identify and eliminate waste and recurring defects across the value stream by conducting root-cause investigations, establishing right-sized risk-based analysis, and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Collaborate with operations, quality, procurement, suppliers, and engineering SMEs to resolve production issues, support MRB activities, respond to supplier requests for information, and drive rapid closure of Stop Delivery Order (SDO)/ Fleet Podding Notification (FPN) investigations.
• Develop technical expertise in fan blade airfoils, serve as a primary contact for airfoil design activities, and progress toward SME and Delegate Approver responsibilities for applicable hardware.
• Prepare and present technical recommendations and program status to CSE, ESTO, and Operations management, while capturing producibility lessons learned and establishing best practices across production and engineering deliverables.

Skills

Root-cause investigations

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical presentation

Fan blade airfoils design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Advanced degree in Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

SAP

MS Office

Job description

Location: US-CT-EAST HARTFORD-OBF1 ~ 400 Main St ~ BLDG OBF1

Date Posted: 2026-10-02
Country: United States of America
Location: US-CT-EAST HARTFORD-OBF1 ~ 400 Main St ~ BLDG OBF1
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 certain necessary systems.
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.

Principal Design Engineer

Pratt & Whitney’s Cold Section Engineering Support to Operations (ESTO) organization is seeking a goal-oriented, detail-focused Principal Design Engineer to join the Commercial Fan Blade Design Team in East Hartford, Connecticut. This role provides production and engineering support for fan blade airfoils, combining proactive product improvement with reactive quality and manufacturing problem-solving. The engineer will work cross-functionally with operations, quality, procurement, suppliers, and engineering Subject Matter Experts SMEs while developing toward Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Delegate Approver responsibilities.

What You Will Do

• Lead corrective-action activities, Quality Notifications (QNs), Class II engineering changes, Cost of Poor Quality initiatives, and producibility improvements to improve quality, cost, and production performance.
• Identify and eliminate waste and recurring defects across the value stream by conducting root-cause investigations, establishing right-sized risk-based analysis, and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Collaborate with operations, quality, procurement, suppliers, and engineering SMEs to resolve production issues, support Material Review Board (MRB) activities, respond to supplier requests for information, and drive rapid closure of Stop Delivery Order (SDO)/ Fleet Podding Notification (FPN) investigations.
• Develop technical expertise in fan blade airfoils, serve as a primary contact for airfoil design activities, and progress toward SME and Delegate Approver responsibilities for applicable hardware.
• Prepare and present technical recommendations and program status to CSE, ESTO, and Operations management, while capturing producibility lessons learned and establishing best practices across production and engineering deliverables.

Travel Requirement: 10% | Domestic, International.

What You Will Learn

• Gain advanced experience supporting commercial fan blade airfoil design and production.
• Develop expertise in QN management, Class II engineering changes, MRB, supplier support, and root-cause investigations.
• Build proficiency in risk-based decision-making and defining appropriate levels of engineering analysis for production issues.
• Develop cross-functional leadership and supplier-management skills while working with operations, quality, procurement, and engineering teams.
• Progress toward Subject Matter Expert and Delegate Approver responsibilities for applicable fan blade hardware.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with 8 years of relevant engineering experience, or an Advanced degree in Engineering with 5 years of relevant engineering experience. Relevant engineering experience supporting design, manufacturing, production, or technical problem-solving activities.

Qualifications We Prefer

• BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• Aerospace industry experience in a manufacturing environment, with commercial and/or military aerospace experience highly desirable.
• Working proficiency with Siemens NX, Teamcenter, SAP, and MS Office.
• Experience with fan blades, airfoils, MRB, engineering changes, supplier technical support, or manufacturing problem resolution.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, leadership, cultural-awareness, and relationship-building skills.

What We Offer

• Eligible for Relocation.

Department/Segment Overview

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.

Please ensure the role type defined below is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role. This position is classified as:

• 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 the 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.

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.

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