Associate Director Engineering

Date Posted:

2026-03-09

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-MA-CAMBRIDGE-BBN01 ~ 10 & 50 Moulton St ~ MOULTON B2

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:

DoD Clearance: Top Secret

Security Clearance Status:

Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

RTX Corporation 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 Systems, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 185,000 employees enable the company to operate at 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, VA.

The following position is to join our RTX BBN Technologies team:

Position Overview:

RTX BBN, a noted high-tech research & development company, seeks a creative, organized, people-centered candidate to fill the role of Senior Principal Scientist/Engineer in the Sensor Systems Line of Business in RTX BBN’s Physical Sciences and Systems (PS2) business unit. BBN’s Sensor Systems group is a leading provider of acoustic, fiber optic, and event-based sensing solutions supporting DOD and non-DOD agencies. Our multi-domain awareness systems provide situational awareness in critical land, air, and undersea environments and deliver actionable intelligence to enhance our nation’s security. Our multidisciplinary teams include physicists, engineers, and software developers, who collaborate closely with other parts of RTX in areas such as photonics, quantum, communications, networking, AI/ML, and battlespace management.

What You Will Do:

• Lead and execute multiple multi-million-dollar R&D programs in advanced sensor system technologies.
• Direct cross-disciplinary teams of scientists and engineers through the full technology development lifecycle, from concept to field testing and delivery.
• Plan and oversee complex field tests on land and at sea to validate system performance.
• Provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise in areas such as acoustics, photonics, physics, fluid mechanics, fiber optics, geophysics, or related fields.
• Apply programming and analytical tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, C/C++) to support modeling, algorithms, and data analysis.
• Manage competing priorities across multiple programs while guiding teams to meet technical, schedule, and performance objectives.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Typically requires a University Degree or equivalent experience and minimum 12 years prior relevant experience, or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 10 years experience
• Experience collecting and analyzing data from sensor systems.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience as a Principal Investigator or technical lead on R&D programs.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience related to physical sciences, sensing, and signal processing.
• Ability to confidently present technical information in presentations, journal papers, and reports.
• Independence to work with minimal supervision.
• Experience taking proactive actions to anticipate, understand, and meet project and customer needs.
• A leadership and work style that accommodates diversity in ideas, employees, customers and cultures, without sacrificing results.
• Previous experience working within research and development engineering organizations.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOD security clearance.
• Willingness to travel to partner, customer, and corporate offices.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
• PhD in physical sciences or engineering (e.g., physics, electrical engineering).
• Fluent in multiple commonly used programming languages such as Python, Matlab, C, or C++.
• Known as a technical leader and subject matter expert either regionally or nationally.
• Strong network of R&D contacts across the Federal Government.
• Ability to leverage extensive professional network to form and influence complex teams.
• Track record of mentoring junior Principal-Inves