Senior Principal Software Architect – Aerospace Programs

Collins Aerospace; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) match

Flexible spending accounts

Flexible work schedules

Employee Scholar Program

Parental leave

Paid time off

Job summary

Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids, IA is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer, Software Engineering to own large enterprise software programs. The role emphasizes strategy, governance, and cross-functional leadership in avionics contexts.

The position requires a strong background in AI/ML, embedded/real-time systems, and safety-critical certification activities (ARP4754, DO-178, DO-330). Onsite work in Cedar Rapids is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in CS/EE or related field with 10+ years software experience.
• Master's degree with 7+ years in software engineering may qualify.
• 5+ years AI/ML development and deployment in avionics or safety-critical domains.
• 5+ years Python/Java/C/C++ in embedded/real-time systems.
• 5+ years avionics software development and certification (ARP4754/DO-178/DO-330).
• 3+ years DevOps CI/CD and Kubernetes-based architecture.

Responsibilities

• Provide ownership and governance for large enterprise initiatives from planning to delivery.
• Define program strategy, roadmaps, and delivery models aligned to objectives and standards.
• Make trade-off decisions on scope, schedules, budgets, and risks without hands-on coding.
• Direct cross-functional teams across engineering, quality, certification, finance, legal, and operations.
• Approve execution plans and resolve escalations to maintain momentum and compliance.
• Establish governance and quality standards for auditability and reliability.
• Provide executive reporting and strategic recommendations for portfolio decisions.

Skills

Python

Java

C/C++

AI/ML development

DevOps/CI-CD

Kubernetes

Software for safety-critical/avionics

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree or equivalent

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids, IA is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer, Software Engineering to own large enterprise software programs. The role emphasizes strategy, governance, and cross-functional leadership in avionics contexts.

The position requires a strong background in AI/ML, embedded/real-time systems, and safety-critical certification activities (ARP4754, DO-178, DO-330). Onsite work in Cedar Rapids is expected.