Principal Systems Engineer – Chief Engineer (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-07-09

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-CA-EL SEGUNDO-E04 ~ 2006 E El Segundo Blvd ~ BLDG E04

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

Raytheon Company, Managed by Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio, and expertise to solve customers’ toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market.

The Secure Subsystems organization is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer – Chief Engineer to lead the modernization and certification of advanced military communication devices. This role provides technical leadership across a multi‑disciplinary engineering team, guiding system upgrades, shaping design decisions, and ensuring alignment with customer and program objectives. The Chief Engineer partners with Program Management to drive program execution, support cost and schedule as CAM, and oversee planning and coordination activities tied to major milestones, including crypto certification. Operating within agile and traditional development environments, this leader directs system-level requirements decomposition, integration planning, defect resolution, and verification efforts to deliver secure, reliable, and mission-ready crypto-enabled solutions. This position plays a critical role in advancing secure communication technologies and supporting the deployment of highly resilient systems to global defense customers.

What You Will Do

• Lead as the chief engineer for a team that is going through several upgrades on a legacy device

• Work closely with PMO and customer to get to the crypto certification

• Cost Accounting Manager (CAM) and work with Finance/Scheduler for internal BCRs, IMS planning

• Product owner/scrum master and running CCBs for defects

• Perform technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total system solutions

• Perform bid and proposal efforts 

• Work system requirements decomposition, CDRL updates and black box or white box testing on Software and hardware integrated crypto systems

SIGN ON BONUS ELIGIBLE

Qualifications You Must Have

• Experience with the systems development process, including requirements capture, design, decomposition, integration, and verification/validation, and transition to production

• Experience with leading $5-10 million programs as a chief engineer/project lead through waterfall/agile methodologies for a minimum of 5 years

• Active and transferable SECRET clearance is required prior to start date

• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 8 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 5 years of experience 

Qualifications We Prefer

• Familiarity with the Scaled Agile framework 

• Exceptionally strong communication skills, experience presenting technical data to program management and executive leadership 

• Experienced with Cryptographic Hardware architecture/design, Network Encryption specifications and test methodologies

• Experience with tools such as DOORS, CAMEO or similar, Software Languages such as Rust and Python.

• Experience with Hardware and Software Integration, Validation & Verification Testing, and Qualification Testing

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 Progr