Systems Engineer Associate - Athena Control Systems (ONSITE)

Prattwhitney; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Three weeks vacation

401(k) plan with employer matching

Job summary

Collins Aerospace, a RTX company, seeks a Systems Engineer Associate to design and develop software defined radio products for military platforms. You will interface with multi-discipline teams to deliver total system solutions addressing domestic and international customer needs.

Successful candidates typically hold a STEM degree with limited prior experience and will work onsite at our Sterling, VA location, contributing to both networking and non-networking waveforms and system-level analyses.

Qualifications

• Requires STEM degree with <2 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with software development processes and stakeholder communication is a plus.
• Familiarity with software defined radio concepts and signal processing is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Analyze, architect and design at all levels of the total system product and disposal.
• Translate customer requirements into hardware and software specifications via functional analysis, trade studies, and interface definition.
• Decompose customer specifications to subsystem requirements and develop verification criteria and plans.
• Plan, integrate, verify/validate, assess cost and risk, and ensure total system solutions are supportable and effective.

Skills

MATLAB

Python

DOORS

C++

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Tools

DOORS

C++

Job description

Date Posted: 2026-09-29 Country: United States of America Location: US-VA-STERLING-291 ~ 22640 Davis Dr ~ DAVIS Position Role 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: Secret Security Clearance Status: Active and existing security clearance required after day 1

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, 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 the Mission Systems Precision Landing and Athena Control Systems Team and help shape, define, and design communication solutions that connect militaries around the world!

As a Systems Engineer Associate, you will design and develop military software defined radio products covering all spectrum bands. You will play an integral role in developing the next generation of both networking and non‑networking software defined radio waveforms for existing and new communication platforms. You will interface with multi‑discipline engineering teams to create total system solutions, addressing both domestic and international customer needs.

What You Will Do

• Perform analysis, architecture and design at all levels of the total system product and disposal
• Perform functional analysis, trade studies, requirements allocation and interface definition studies to translate customer requirements into hardware and software specifications
• Provide analysis for the decomposition of customer specifications and system level requirements into sub‑system and piece part requirements, and develop verification criteria and plans for the requirements
• Perform technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analysis for total system solutions

Qualifications You Must Have

• Experience with tools such as MATLAB and Python
• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and less than 2 years prior relevant experience

Qualifications We Prefer

• Experience with the systems development process, including requirements capture, design, decomposition, integration, verification/validation, and transition to production
• Experience with communicating between program stakeholders
• Experience with tools such as DOORS and C++
• Experience with Model Based Systems Engineering

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 illnessinsurance, group legal, ID theft protection
• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
• Carrot Health to hormonal 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
• This position is eligible for relocation assistance

Additional Benefits

• 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
• 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.

RTX is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. It comprises three industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 195,000 employees enable the company to operate as the edge of known science as they imagine and deliver solutions that push the boundaries in quantum physics, electric propulsion, directed energy, hypersonics, avionics and cybersecurity. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

Employee Referral Eligible #MISENG

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.