Sr. Principal Systems Engineer – Flight Execution Lead

Date Posted:

2026-07-16

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-AZ-TUCSON-805 ~ 1151 E Hermans Rd ~ BLDG 805

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: Secret

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. 

Raytheon brings the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. We deliver solutions that help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression, creating a safer, more secure world. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Our mission is to develop best in industry technologies that align product capabilities to the needs of our customer.  We empower our employees to leverage design commonality and innovation, balancing risk and rigor, to achieve predictable and affordable solutions. 

The Processing, Guidance, and Control center is currently hiring for a Sr. Principal Systems Engineer – Flight Execution Lead position in Tucson, AZ to support the execution of the portfolio of current and upcoming missile programs. The Flight Execution Lead will provide technical leadership for a strategically important software upgrade that enhances the company’s long‑term competitiveness and strengthens future program pursuits. This role oversees a cross‑functional team of 25–30 engineers spanning Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC), Flight Sciences, Operational Analysis (OA), Simulation, Performance, and Mission Planning software—disciplines that collectively define system flight behavior and mission execution.

Sr. Principal Systems Engineer – Flight Execution Lead is responsible for unifying technical decisions across these areas, managing system‑level risk, and ensuring all elements of flight behavior remain synchronized with program objectives and customer requirements. This position guides the development of advanced flight algorithms, integrated simulation environments, and mission‑level logic essential to delivering the next generation capability. This role also includes Cost Account Management responsibilities, ensuring financial execution aligns with program scope, schedule, and technical commitments.

What You Will Do

• Provide unified leadership across all flight execution disciplines
• Ensure system‑level coordination across GNC, OA, Simulation, Performance, and Mission Planning
• Drive development of advanced flight algorithms and mission‑level system behaviors
• Maintain integrated simulation environments aligned with customer expectations
• Manage cross‑disciplinary dependencies affecting flight dynamics and mission effectiveness
• Keep engineering efforts aligned to aggressive, customer‑driven schedules
• Perform Cost Account Management duties, including planning, tracking, and reporting cost and schedule performance for assigned control accounts

Qualifications You Must Have

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Physics, Mathematics, or a related STEM degree and a minimum of 10 years prior relevant experience
• Experience with fluid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, or applied aerodynamics
• Experience with High‑Performance Computing workflows, distributed architectures, or cloud‑based compute environments
• Experience with Linux/Unix operating systems
• Ability to obtain an Interim Secret U.S. government‑issued Security Clearance prior to start, with ability to obtain special program access after start. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Qualifications We Prefer 

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