Principal Project Engineer

Position Information

Date Posted: 2026-02-16

Country: United States of America

Location: US-TX-RICHARDSON-461 ~ 3200 E Renner Rd ~ RENNER BLDG 461

Position Role Type: Onsite

Security Clearance 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: Top Secret
• Security Clearance Status: Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

About the Role

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.

As our next Principal Project Engineer, you will learn from the best and brightest in the communications and nuclear deterrence domain working at Collins Aerospace. You will assume an integrated product team leadership role to develop, integrate, and test newly developed hardware. The Project Engineer collaborates with others to develop a key control and monitor subsystem for an NC3 airborne platform. You will work across functions including project management, planning, and engineering teams across the product lifecycle.

This is a very visible position at the forefront of one of our most important development efforts. Collins Aerospace has an exciting opportunity for a proven Principal Project Engineer to lead, develop, and establish the required technology and infrastructure for the Strategic Communication Systems (SCS) portfolio. This multi-faceted role will lead cross functional teams through development, integration, and test of a critical Control & Monitor (C&M) system. The ideal candidate should be an established leader that can leverage proven experience integrating systems onto DoD platforms. If you are a technical leader, business/tech savvy, and willing to push new boundaries, this is the role for you!

What You Will Do

• Direct all phases of programs from inception through completion while meeting program schedule and budget
• Plan, oversee, and coordinate the administrative and operational aspects of ongoing projects within program guidelines
• Liaise between project management and planning, project teams, and line management
• Monitor and assess project issues and develop resolutions to meet productivity, quality, and customer-satisfaction goals and objectives
• Direct the work of employees assigned on projects in technical, manufacturing and administrative areas
• Establish design concepts, criteria and engineering efforts for product research, development, integration and test
• Manage the technical performance of a program team which may include multiple small programs (5-10) or a larger program (20-40)
• Prepare and maintain project plans, budgets, and staffing requirements to ensure that all action item lists are completed, and project quality expectations are met
• Lead a cross-functional team of engineers (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems and Software) during the maturation of the control and monitor subsystem
• Understand customer technical requirements and their derivation
• Oversee the transfer of lowest level requirements into development and test for prototype and customer deliveries
• Drive project schedules to keep programs running efficiently and track budget and schedule commitments
• Manage the project including tracking & reporting on budget and schedule performance through Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) techniques
• Interface with management, suppliers, customers, and members of the technical design team
• Provide timely and effective communication to management and customers
• Perform engineering activities associated with design, development, procurement, and testing
• Lead Technology Development programs guiding products through Technology Readiness Level process
• Lead test activities to prove out components and/or understand issues
• Benchmark similar hardware and review customer needs to strategically drive system and hardware development
• Ensure excellence in engineering and technology

For the candidates with the corresponding experience and background, this position is eligible to be converted to a Sr. Principal Project Engineer.

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
• Able to communicate and make presentations to senior level leadership
• Able to travel up to 25% of the time depending on the program phase (typically 10% or less)

We Prefer

• US Department of Defense (DoD) Top Secret clearance
• Progressive leadership in the design, development, test, and integration of electromechanical assemblies with embedded software
• Experience using Agile methodologies for hardware and software development
• Prior Cost Account Manager experience
• Experience navigating competing priorities, delivering the highest level of engagement and delivering successful outcomes in critical situations
• Experience leading projects and teams within a highly matrixed organization
• Understanding of Aerospace engineering design and analysis review/release process
• Understanding of the configuration management process
• Strong Project management skills using MS Office/MS Project/EVMS
• Identification of risks early on and ability to manage/mitigate by leveraging Sr. Leadership Support

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, 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!

Work Environment

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.

About Collins Aerospace

Do 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.