Principal Systems Engineer – Infrastructure (Onsite)

Collins Aerospace; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 107,500 - 204,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan with employer matching

Tuition reimbursement program

Job summary

Collins Aerospace is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to join their team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This role focuses on model-based systems engineering for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center program and requires strong systems engineering lifecycle expertise.

The ideal candidate will have experience in requirements development, integration, and Agile methodologies, and must possess a Top Secret security clearance. This position offers significant opportunities for growth and the chance to work on advanced aerospace technology.

Qualifications

• Experience in multiple areas of the systems engineering lifecycle.
• Experience with MBSE and system modeling.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Execute model-based systems engineering development activities.
• Participate in the systems development lifecycle.
• Support Agile planning and execution.

Skills

Requirements development

System design

Agile development

Technical documentation

Systems integration

Verification and validation

Education

Degree in STEM

Advanced degree in related field

Tools

Jira

Jama

Confluence

Job description

Overview

Location: US-IA-CEDAR RAPIDS-143 ~ 855 35Th St NE ~ BLDG 143

Date Posted: 2026-06-29

Country: United States of America

Position 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 Type: DoD Clearance: Top Secret

Security Clearance Status: Active and existing security clearance required after day 1

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.

We are seeking a Principal Systems Engineer - Infrastructure to work onsite in Cedar Rapids, IA. Come embark on a journey where your expertise in systems engineering will help shape the future of aerospace technology. At Collins Aerospace, we’re modernizing the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) capability as part of the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) Program to recapitalize the E-4B fleet with next-generation capabilities.

As a Principal Systems Engineer on the SAOC engineering team, we will equip you with the opportunities and resources necessary to develop your expertise in the systems engineering lifecycle. You will have the opportunity to learn from top professionals in the communications and nuclear deterrence sectors at Collins Aerospace. This role will be part of a geographically distributed team responsible for systems and security engineering tasks associated with our next-generation network, compute, and storage technologies.

No need to be an established subject matter expert, we are looking for talented individuals that love to solve problems and have a desire to grow and gain exposure to new skills. Our customers come from all different backgrounds, and so do our employees. If you\'re passionate about what you could accomplish here, we\'d love to hear from you.

Sign-on Bonus Eligible

What YOU will do:

• YOU will work closely with a highly motivated and dedicated team of professionals and other internal/external stakeholders while executing model-based systems engineering development activities for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program.
• YOU will participate in the systems development lifecycle, including trade study execution, system design, requirements definition, requirements allocation, requirement traceability, systems integration, verification testing and qualification.
• YOU will support Agile planning and execution, help keep work aligned with program cost and schedule objectives, assist with managing risks and issues, and be actively involved in planning activities.
• YOU will participate in and facilitate Agile team ceremonies, Agile sprint reviews, user story refinement and end of sprint product demos.
• YOU will have the opportunity to support cost account management activities, including tracking cost and schedule performance, reporting status, monitoring key metrics, and helping identify and communicate risks and issues.

What YOU will learn:

• You will gain technical leadership experience, mentorship opportunities, and exposure to very influential individuals within Mission Systems that will help advance your career.
• You will gain experience developing secure, cyber-resilient systems while collaborating with security, crypto, customer, and engineering experts and applying modern systems engineering practices.
• You will apply and expand your MBSE skills through hands-on experience with modern modeling tools and systems engineering practices.
• Grow your expertise in secure products while advancing your career in a rapidly evolving portfolio. We are growing, so can you!

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Experience in multiple areas of the systems engineering lifecycle, including requirements development, design, integration, verification, validation, and technical documentation.
• Experience with MBSE, including system modeling, requirements traceability, or architecture development.
• Experience leading engineering activities while managing multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Experience using the Atlassian resource suite, specifically: Jira, Jama, and Confluence.
• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 8 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 5 years of experience.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. government issued security clearance is required.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Experience designing, developing, and integrating networked processing, distributed computing, and secure systems.
• Experience applying systems engineering principles throughout the development lifecycle, including requirements, architecture, design, integration, verification, and validation.
• Experience supporting subcontracted development efforts within a multidisciplinary engineering environment.
• Experience working in Agile development environments and collaborating across software, hardware, cyber, and systems engineering teams.
• Experience with MBSE methodologies, SysML, and modeling tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, or Enterprise Architect.
• Experience developing systems for military or mission-critical environments with consideration for security, resiliency, and applicable military standards.
• Experience with cryptographic integration, multi-domain security architectures, Systems Security Engineering, and security compliance/accreditation activities.
• Working knowledge of bidding and project/task estimation tools (e.g. SEER products).

What We Offer:

• 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
• Relocation assistance may be provided
• And more!

Learn More & Apply Now!

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.

Onsite policy

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.

These roles may require in-person interview steps at one of our office locations as part of the secure hiring process.

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.

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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