Senior Principal Systems Engineering Lead, MBSE

Collins Aerospace; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Three weeks of vacation

401(k) plan with employer matching

Tuition reimbursement program

Relocation assistance may be provided

Job summary

Collins Aerospace, a RTX company, seeks a Senior Principal Systems Engineer, MBSE, to lead complex military communications systems on the E-4 platform in an onsite Sterling, VA role. Active Secret clearance and U.S. citizenship are required.

You will guide SysML MBSE efforts, architecture design, and cross‑functional collaboration across engineering teams. You will mentor engineers, drive MBSE practices, and coordinate with software, hardware, and mechanical disciplines to meet performance

Qualifications

• Experience as a Subject Matter Expert in SysML within an MBSE framework.
• Experience in leading a systems or software engineering team.
• Typically requires a degree in STEM and minimum 10 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree with minimum 7 years.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.
• Active and transferable U.S. government issued Secret security clearance is required prior to start date.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Systems Engineering Technical Lead for a simulation team, aligning efforts across engineering teams to ensure completion of capabilities within the project lifecycle.
• Provide the technical execution leadership required to design, develop, integrate, test, verify, qualify, and deliver a system that complies with technical and performance requirements.
• Oversee day‑to‑day execution of requirements & design maturation for a Mission Crew Training Device through major milestones.
• Build a System-of-Systems architecture using SysML within an MBSE framework.
• Contribute to the design and development of a Systems/Software architecture for an aircraft Simulator Training System.
• Coordinate with Software, Electrical, & Mechanical Engineers to update design at various levels of detail.
• Work in an Agile program environment, supporting planning, backlog management, technical execution, and coordination across Agile teams.
• Identify and manage technical risks, opportunities and dependencies and ensure seamless program execution.
• Support risk and opportunity management, schedule adherence, and cost control to meet program deliverables and financial objectives.
• Report execution metrics to leadership, providing visibility into program performance and potential impacts.
• Collaborate with customer representatives and stakeholders to define scope, establish priorities, and resolve issues.
• Prepare and present technical briefs and decisions to stakeholders and customers.
• Collaborate with leadership to resolve challenges and drive engineering execution.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Systems Engineering talent through coaching and hands‑on guidance.

Skills

SysML MBSE

Tech leadership

Security clearance Secret

DoD program experience

Agile development

Education

B.S. in STEM or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Location

US-VA-STERLING-291 ~ 22640 Davis Dr ~ DAVIS

Date Posted

2026-09-17

Country

United States of America

Position Role Type

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements

Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance

Security Clearance Type

Secret - Current

Security Clearance Status

Active and existing security clearance required on 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. Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced, intelligent solutions that help redefine the aerospace and defense industry. With a comprehensive portfolio and deep technical expertise, we help customers meet the demands of the global market. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Join Collins Aerospace and help shape the future of Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3), supporting the recapitalization of the U.S. Air Force E-4B fleet with next-generation capabilities.

As a Senior Principal Systems Engineer, MBSE you will lead complex military communications systems on the E-4 platform and collaborate with geographically distributed, multidisciplinary teams.

This position is onsite in Sterling, VA and requires an active/current US Secret security clearance.

What You Will Do

• Serve as Systems Engineering Technical Lead for a simulation team, aligning efforts across engineering teams to ensure completion of capabilities within the project lifecycle.
• Provide the technical execution leadership required to design, develop, integrate, test, verify, qualify, and deliver a system that complies with technical and performance requirements.
• Oversee day‑to‑day execution of requirements & design maturation efforts for a Mission Crew Training Device through its major engineering design milestones.
• Build a System-of-Systems architecture using SysML within a Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) framework.
• Contribute to the design and development of a Systems/Software architecture for an aircraft Simulator Training System.
• Coordinate with Software, Electrical, & Mechanical Engineers to arrange, define, and update design at various levels of detail.
• Work in an Agile program environment, supporting planning, backlog management, technical execution, and coordination across Agile teams.
• Identify and manage technical risks, opportunities and dependencies and ensure seamless program execution.
• Support risk and opportunity management, schedule adherence, and cost control to meet program deliverables and financial objectives.
• Report execution metrics to program and functional leadership, providing visibility into program performance and potential impacts.
• Collaborate with customer representatives and internal and external stakeholders to define scope, establish technical priorities, resolve issues, and ensure alignment with program objectives and customer expectations.
• Prepare and present technical briefs, program status, risks and opportunities, recommendations, and technical decisions to internal and external stakeholders, including customers and program leadership.
• Collaborate with program leadership, engineering leadership, functional leadership, and key stakeholders to resolve technical challenges, establish priorities, and drive engineering execution.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Systems Engineering talent at all levels through technical coaching, knowledge transfer, collaboration, and hands‑on guidance, fostering technical growth and preparing engineers for increased levels of responsibility.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Experience as a Subject Matter Expert in SysML (Systems Modelling Language) within an MBSE framework.
• Experience in leading a systems or software engineering team.
• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 10 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 7 years of experience.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.
• Active and transferable U.S. government issued Secret security clearance is required prior to start date.

Qualifications We Prefer

• Experience in leading a team on a large DoD program.
• Experience with Simulation & Training engineering.
• Familiarity with engineering processes ranging from Software, Hardware, and Mechanical domains.
• Experience with Agile Development Methodologies (e.g. Scrum, SAFe), including backlog management, Agile metrics, and Scrum ceremonies.
• Experience utilizing and communicating programmatic Earned Value (EV) and experience as a Cost Account Manager (CAM).
• Familiarity with Radio Frequency (RF) Communications concepts.
• Familiarity with CORE Simulation (CORESIM) Architecture.
• Familiarity with deployment/configuration/support of CI/CD pipelines.

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!

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is 145,600 USD - 276,800 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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