Principal Systems Engineer (Onsite)

Date Posted:2026-06-16 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: 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 1Principal Systems Engineer - (Onsite)At RTX, the world 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.Collins Aerospace 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.At Collins Aerospace, we’re working side-by-side with our customers and partners to dream, design, and deliver solutions that redefine the future of our industry. By reaching across the markets, we serve and drawing on our vast portfolio of expertise, we are making the most powerful concepts in aerospace a reality every day. As the industry faces new challenges and embraces new technologies, Collins is collaborating and innovating with our customers to bring big ideas to life. And together, we're redefining the future of aerospace.Role Description:   The Mission Simulation group within the Strategic Defense Solutions organization is hiring a Principal Systems Engineer to join our Mission Systems organization in support of our simulation and training solutions programs. The Mission Systems organization is an exciting and challenging environment where you will have the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines to shape innovative solutions for our US customers.This position requires: US Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Security Clearance Day 1.  Onsite: This is an onsite role supporting our Sterling, VA location.Sign-on Bonus Eligible What YOU will do:  Review and analyze the system level requirements to perform the following tasks:    Develop verifiable system level requirement; decompose customer requirements into lower-level system requirements and allocate to the right discipline (HW/SW)Develop/execute test plans, verification and or acceptance test procedures, development of scripts as well as utilization/configuration of test equipment and tools to verify system requirements and prove complianceCollaborate with the program team and the customer to produce baseline requirements and our established verification methods to achieve customer acceptance and to also keep track of requirements volatilityManage updates and timely release of CDRLs/SDRLs, contributing to improvement in documentation cycle time and customer satisfactionContribute to technical interchange meetings and design reviews (TRR, PDR, CDR). Define, maintain, and report appropriate requirements metrics to the IPT to address program health concerns Provide verbal and written status on assigned Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) tasksQualifications You Must Have: 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 experienceActive and transferable U.S. Government DoD issued Secret Security Clearance is required prior to start date.U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearanceWorking knowledge of SE fundamentals with ability to work with all engineering disciplines and program managementExperience system functionality, creating block diagrams, and analyzing system performance via analysis of customer requirements specificationExperience working in Development, System Test and Sell-off, involving Hardware/SoftwareExperience of industry standards such as MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-704, for airworthiness, ARINC and RTCA standards are preferredExperience in System, Software, and Hardware Requirements management/traceability/allocationFamiliarity with EVMS, ETCs, and ECPsExperience with Test Equipment/Tools, Technical Reviews and Production Readiness​Qualifications We Prefer:Minimum 10 years of experience in one or more of the following technical domains: modeling, and simulation, training devices,  aerodynamics, flight controlsFamiliarity in sub system or systems architecting and system-of-systems definitionDevelopment of Python scriptsWorking knowledge of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)Proficient in DOORS and/or JAMAExperience in Agile development and usage of Agile framework tools such as JIRA/ConfluenceDo you want to be a part of something bigger? A team whose impact stretches across the world, and even beyond? At Collins Aerospace, our Mission Systems team helps civilian, military and government customers complete their most complex missions — whatever and wherever they may be. Our customers depend on us for intelligent and secure communications, missionized systems for specialized aircraft and spacecraft and collaborative space solutions. By joining our team, you’ll have your own critical part to play in ensuring our customer succeeds today while anticipating their needs for tomorrow. Are you up for the challenge? Join our mission today.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 empl