Principal Systems/Test Engineer - Energetics & Propulsion (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-03-31

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-CA-FAIRFIELD-3530 ~ 3530 Branscombe Rd ~ BRANSCOMBE

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:

Security Clearance Type:

None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status:

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.

Collins Aerospace in Fairfield, CA, is seeking a Systems/Test Engineer responsible for developing new energetic products, adaptive engineering of existing energetic product lines, sustaining current energetic product lines, and providing requirements and testing support within the Propulsions site. The Systems Engineer will be involved in all phases of the products life, including proposal preparation, brainstorming sessions, design, supplier support, manufacturing support, non-conforming material analysis, qualification testing, failure investigations and sustaining activities. The position is expected to participate in continuous improvement activities, be capable of leading efforts, ability to break down complex requirements, create plans to resolve requirement gaps, produce testing methodology and provide recommendations for complex technical issues in the department.

Our facility manufactures and tests explosive, propellant, and cartridge-actuated devices. From small, discrete devices to canopy removal systems and Rocket Motors, our facilities support a nearly unlimited selection of products. We know what’s at stake every day when we come to work. It’s not only our reputation for excellence; it’s the very lives of the men and women who rely on our products.

This position will be working onsite in Fairfield, CA.

What You Will Do

• Review Request for Quotes from customers to evaluate feasibility, ensure all requirements are managed by Qual by Similarity (QBS), Analysis or Testing and scope of effort is bid

• Participate in brainstorming efforts for part design and/or new specification conditions and provide feedback and guidance on requirements impact and testing needs

• Manage requirements on all phases of the product life cycle using a compliance matrix or similar requirements management tool

• Help review and provide requirements guidance on development and production hardware to determine spec vs. actual conditions

• Help with designing, modeling and analyzing system/customer requirements

• Lead and develop testing methods to qualify design and verify customer and internal requirements

• Communicate with customers to provide technical information, engineering recommendations, action plans and risk assessments

• Lead or participate in failure investigations, creating fault trees, creating requirements-based actions and quickly determining root cause to implement corrective action

• Work with Project/Program Management to ensure all project milestones are achieved within identified and documented time, budget, and performance expectations for multiple projects

• Monitor and report the status of all projects to management and customers

• Support continuous improvement activities to improve development project execution

• Perform other duties as needed

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

• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) access

• Experience working as a Systems Engineer in the Aerospace Industry directly working with aerospace hardware development or sustainment programs

What We Prefer

• Experience with energetic engineering is highly desired but not required

• Experience with requirements management tools such as Jama, DOORS, etc.

• Graduate degrees in Systems, Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical engineering are preferred

• Experience with modeling and analysis of complex engineering problems

• Experience reviewing, distilling and managing technical requirements on complex systems

• Experience running failure investigations, creating fault trees and driving to a root cause and corrective actions

• Experience creating test plans from engineering requirements, executing tests and distilling data to verify requirements

• Must be proficient at prioritizing and managing workload, as well as having very strong decision making and administrative abilities

• Strong continuous improvement skills and customer focus

• Having Systems Engineering certifications are a plus

• Experience with Cameo and Model Based Simulation is a plus

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 ​

• And more!

​

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. ​

*Please ensure the role type (defined below) is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role. ​

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​

​

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. ​

​

The salary range for this role is 118,300 USD - 224,900 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.