Principal Engineer, Manufacturing Test Equipment Engineer, Smart Factory (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2025-08-13

Country:

United States of America

Location:

A01: Rockford - Aerospace 4747 Harrison Avenue, Rockford, IL, 61125 USA

Position Role Type:

Onsite

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

U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Security Clearance:

None/Not Required

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. 

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Manufacturing Test Equipment Engineer to join the Manufacturing Test Engineering team. This role is a hybrid of automation and systems engineering responsibilities, supporting production test systems and leading the development and integration of smart factory and Industry 4.0 technologies. You will work hands-on with internal customers, cross-functional teams, and external partners to improve manufacturing performance, reliability, and automation capabilities across test and production equipment.

What You Will Do

• Serve as a technical Subject Matter Expert (SME) for automation systems and production test equipment.
• Lead full lifecycle engineering of manufacturing and test systems: design, integration, validation, deployment, and maintenance.
• Develop and implement automation technologies, including robotics, PLCs, SCADA (e.g., Ignition), AMR/AGVs, and vision systems.
• Lead system design efforts aligned with near- and long-term business goals, driving standardization and smart factory initiatives.
• Oversee software and hardware integration, data acquisition, and system reliability improvements.
• Define testing strategies, performance requirements, calibration, and maintenance plans for production test systems.
• Provide SME coaching to increase understanding of test stands, data systems, and unit interaction.
• Use statistical process control (SPC) tools and data analytics to drive process optimization and improve equipment effectiveness.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (product engineering, quality, operations) to troubleshoot, upgrade, and standardize equipment and test processes.
• Support and manage external suppliers and partners during test equipment commissioning and validation.
• Develop documentation, lead peer reviews, and enhance internal processes for efficiency and cost control.
• Participate in troubleshooting legacy and complex test systems; support system upgrades and equipment obsolescence mitigation.
• Assist with CAD-based system design and modeling (ProE, SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD, or similar).

Qualifications You Must Have

• Typically requires a University Degree and minimum 8 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 5 years of experience

Qualifications We Prefer

• Background in test equipment design, automation controls, and mechatronic systems.
• Experience  in automation programming (ladder logic, function block, Python).
• Experience with:
  • Robotics programming (ABB, Universal Robots)
  • Vision systems (Cognex)
  • SCADA platforms (Ignition)
  • PLCs and torque control systems
• Experience with electrical and safety standards (NFPA 79, NEC, UL508A, ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA).
• Familiarity with basic electrical systems including motors, drives, transformers, instrumentation, and controls.
• Leadership skills with the ability to manage cross-discipline teams and dotted-line reports.
• Analytical, organizational, and critical thinking skills.
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 concepts and digital manufacturing simulation tools.

What We Offer

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:   

• 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, fertil