Principal Systems Engineer (ONSITE)

About this role

Date Posted: 2026-08-19

 Country: United States of America

 Location: US-IA-CEDAR RAPIDS-130 ~ 5350 C Ave NE ~ BLDG 130

 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

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, 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.

The Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) group, working on every aspect of guiding airplanes safely to the deck, is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer with a passion for engineering and the desire to join the JPALS team within Precision Navigation.  

This engineer will be asked to contribute to a variety of components including, but not limited to: datalink/communications, Position and Time sensors, customer hardware lab testing, military radios, antennas, etc.  The possible activities may span the entirety of Engineering Development Lifecycle, including Design, Requirements, Validation & Verification, and Integration & Testing.  A large portion of the day will be spent in the lab with hands-on equipment.  With the full array of Precision Landing- enabling functionalities, the team is responsible for architecting, designing, and developing systems and producing products that serve the Land, Sea and Airborne domains.  Datalinks, Airborne computing, data processing and GPS Sensor Systems are just some of the sub-products that make up the product line.

What You Will Do     • Be involved in the design of brand-new Precision Approach and Landing equipment     • Perform hands-on testing in a lab environment     • Ability to create, analyze, and review mechanical drawings and schematics     • Assist in performing analysis at all levels of the total system product including concept, design, fabrication, modeling, test, installation, operation, maintenance and disposal     • Help perform technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total systems     • Assist with managing configuration process, perform functional analysis, timeline analysis, detail trade studies, requirements allocation and interface definition studies to translate customer requirements into hardware and software specifications     • Assist with decomposing customer specifications and system level requirements into sub-system and piece part requirements and generates verification criteria and plans for the requirements     • Ability to create, analyze, and review mechanical drawings and schematics     • Coordinate with cross-functional team members to complete assignments & projects as defined and on schedule

Qualifications You Must Have     • In depth experience in a full scope of Environmental and Electromagnetic Qualification testing on customer hardware     • Experience investigating product defects, including those on the advanced radio communications equipment and avionics LRUs     • Familiarity with radio transceiver architecture/design, basic radio functional component blocks, performance specifications, and test methodologies     • 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     • Strong experience in a lab environment and with troubleshooting customer hardware products     • Ability to update lab test documentation to adhere to customer requirements     • Ability to create a qualification test report to document lab testing done for customer requirements

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 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     • This position is eligible for relocation assistance     • And more!  

Learn More & Apply Now! 

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 p

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