Principal Engineer, Optimization

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) match

Flexible work schedules

Parental leave

Paid time off

Job summary

RTX in Hartford, CT is seeking a senior AI researcher to lead optimization and ML efforts for aerospace and defense applications. You will design and deploy ML solutions for complex scheduling and decision problems, leveraging discrete optimization, DL for vision, and multimodal models.

Collaborate with industry, academia, and government, publish results, and contribute to IP while working in a hybrid environment with onsite and offsite tasks.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Operations Research, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of industrial experience.
• Expertise in one or more of: discrete optimization/mixed-integer programming; deep neural networks for vision; LLMs and vision-language integration.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise in discrete optimization, deep learning for computer vision, LLMs, and VLMs for operations planning and scheduling in aerospace/defense.
• Design and develop optimized ML solutions for complex decision-making problems.
• Develop and deploy deep-learning models for challenging computer-vision tasks.
• Explore and integrate LLMs and VLMs for multimodal tasks.
• Lead and support sponsored programs and proposals; write research proposals.
• Build relationships with industry, academia, and government.
• Disseminate results via reports, conferences, and peer-reviewed articles; develop IP.

Skills

Discrete optimization

Deep learning for vision

Vision-language models

Research leadership

Education

PhD in Operations Research/CS/Applied Math

Tools

Python

MATLAB

C++

Git

Job description

Date Posted: 2026-07-14

Location: Hartford, CT (US-CT-EAST HARTFORD-RTRC L ~ 411 Silver Ln)

Role Type: Hybrid (Employees will work regularly both onsite and offsite. Ratio of time onsite will be determined in partnership with your leader. Candidates may have to attend interview steps in person.)

Citizenship/Immigration: Must be a U.S. Person (lawful permanent resident, or protected individual, etc.). For a complete definition, go here: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-M/part-120/subpart-C/section-120.62

Security Clearance: None / Not Required

What You Will Do

Provide technical expertise in discrete optimization, deep learning for computer vision, large language models (LLMs), vision‑language models (VLMs), and state‑of‑the‑art methods for operations planning and scheduling, especially for industrial problems. Design and develop advanced optimization and machine‑learning solutions to complex decision‑making problems in aerospace and defense applications. Develop and deploy deep‑learning models to solve challenging computer‑vision problems. Explore and integrate LLMs and VLMs for multimodal tasks. Lead and support externally and internally sponsored programs, writing research proposals. Build relationships to support business relationships with industry, academia, and government agencies. Disseminate research results through reports, conference proceedings, peer‑reviewed articles, and develop intellectual property.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Operations Research, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of industrial experience.
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas:
  • Strong background in mathematical programming such as discrete optimization and mixed‑integer programming.
  • Designing and training deep neural networks for vision‑related tasks.
  • Familiarity with large language models and their integration into vision‑language applications.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, C++, or other programming languages and collaborative software development tools (e.g., Git).

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with practical applications in indicated fields with 10+ years of experience.
• Record of innovation as evidenced by high‑quality journal and conference publications.
• Ability to look at open‑ended tough problems as an opportunity to innovate and develop novel solutions.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and interpersonal skills with a track record of teamwork, adaptability, innovation, and initiative.
• Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to focus on results in a fast‑paced, dynamic team environment.
• Ability to work independently with limited direction in multidisciplinary environments to accomplish project goals.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary range: 107,500 USD – 204,500 USD.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance
• Short‑term and long‑term disability
• 401(k) match
• Flexible spending accounts
• Flexible work schedules
• Employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program
• Parental leave, paid time off, holidays

Equal Opportunity Employer

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, 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.