Principal Systems Engineer, Helmet Vision Systems (Onsite)

Date Posted:
2025-07-01
Country:
United States of America
Location:
HIA32: Cedar Rapids, IA 400 Collins Rd NE , Cedar Rapids, IA, 52498-0505 USA
Position Role Type:
Onsite
U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:
This job requires a U.S. Person. A U.S. Person is a lawful permanent resident as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20) or who is a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents, or individuals granted refugee or asylee status in the U.S. are considered U.S. persons. For a complete definition of "U.S. Person" go here: ;br>Security Clearance:
None/Not Required

Collins Aerospace is seeking a motivated Principal Systems Engineer to join our team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and supporting system design and integration activities, ensuring the successful development and deployment of advanced helmet vision systems. With an emphasis on product quality, we are developing optical systems which bring improved value to the flight deck through enhanced situational awareness, lower operating minima, and added safety benefits. From being the Head-Up Display provider for the Boeing Dreamliner to the Helmet Mounted Display provider for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Collins Aerospace continues to build trust every day.

Our Systems Engineering team is responsible for overall helmet display system requirement definition, including the definition of interfaces with other aircraft systems, the definition of desired functionality (including display formats and behaviors), and the verification and validation of the correct implementation of these defined characteristics, as well as LRU system definition and qualification.

We are actively seeking engineers with hardware experience and knowledge of the aviation industry that are motivated to become leaders in the Systems Engineering department. Driven individuals will lead their cross functional teams through technical challenges, as well as manage schedule and cost to meet milestones. We are looking at leaders who can hit the ground running and execute projects that develop our hardware systems into the latest technology. This role will start on a military program.

This role will be onsite in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

What You Will Do:

• Manages overall project requirements, reliability, logistics, coordination of different teams, evaluation measurements, and other disciplines for large or complex projects. Coordinates project management.
• Monitors budgets, cost, effectiveness, and reliability of activities and make recommendations to optimize resources, prioritize spending, and ensure that standards are met.
• Provides analysis for the decomposition of customer specifications and preparation of system-level requirements, system descriptions, wiring diagrams, interface control documents, software and hardware requirement documentation. Make recommendations to improve the quality of the organization's systems products and services.
• Provides recommendations to develop system and safety requirements in accordance with MIL-STD-882.
• Providing conceptual design to foster decomposition of the system requirements into lower level requirements; leads collaborative work with hardware and software engineering design teams to develop functions into their design states.
• Preparing and participating in system design reviews in accordance with MIL-STD-1521 or other internal processes.
• Coordinates system integration cases and procedures.
• Makes recommendations for the generation of plans and verification criteria for the requirements.
• Performs analysis at all levels of the total system product including concept, design, fabrication, modeling, test, installation, operation, maintenance, and disposal.

What You Will Learn:

• How to perform architectural exploration.
• Synthesize analyses of data and uses the results to prepare technical reports of findings and recommendations.
• Experience with ARINC standards: ARINC 429, ARINC 664, ARINC 818 and ARINC 661.
• Experience with safety-critical, real-time, embedded system development.
• Experience with optics and hardware integration.

Qualifications 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 experience
• Experience with estimating, tracking, and reporting project costs and schedule.
• Experience managing multiple levels of requirements.
• Experience with Verification, Validation, and Qualification Testing.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a team environment, excellent interpersonal skills and proactive problem-solving abilities.
• Must be willing to travel 10% or as needed.
• Desire to work with team members located in domestic and global locations.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Experience with optics and hardware integration
• Experience working with Electro-optical and/or infrared imaging sensor systems and/or display systems.
• Knowledge of hardware systems, such as FPGA development, optical light sources, and mechanical tolerance stack-up.
• Knowledge of advanced electro-optical systems to include imaging systems in multiple spectral bands, and digital image processing.
• Knowledge of advanced display technologies, to include experience with micro-display and projection technologies.

WHAT WE OFFER

BENEFITS

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, fertility, and family planning

• Adoption Assistance

• Autism Benefit

• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions

• Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program

• Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits

• Bright Horizons, child and elder care services

• Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program

• And more!

This position may be eligible for relocation.

Learn More & Apply Now!

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.

Avionics delivers advanced cockpit displays, vision systems, and comprehensive digital solutions for global government, commercial and business aviation customers. We provide connectivity and managed data services to ensure safety and seamless communication for passengers, crews, and militaries, from aircraft and airports to air traffic management. Join us in creating solutions that connect the world, one flight at a time. Start your application today.

Onsite: Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products. Regardless of your role type, collaboration and innovation are critical to our business and all employees will have access to digital tools so they can work with colleagues around the world - and access to Collins sites when their work requires in-person meetings.

At Collins, the paths we pave together lead to limitless possibility. And the bonds we form - with our customers and with each other -- propel us all higher, again and again.

Apply now and be part of the team that's redefining aerospace, every day.

The salary range for this role is 101,000 USD - 203,000 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company's performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act.

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