Principal Systems Engineer - ATS (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-06-01

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-NJ-EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP-FAA-CUST ~ 101 Atlantic City International Airport ~ AIRPORT (External Site)

Position Role Type:

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Security Clearance Type:

None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status:

Not Required

RTX Company, Managed by Collins Aerospace

Join a team with a global impact that extends beyond the skies! At Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, we're at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and intelligent solutions for the aerospace and defense industry. Joining us means more than just starting a job—it's embarking on a journey to shape the future of aerospace technology.

Our Connected Aviation group is thrilled to offer a Principal Systems Engineer role within our Air Traffic Solutions (ATS)

As part of the ATS team, you'll be instrumental in developing the next generation of the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) and supporting our existing fielded systems. Step into a role where your innovations will revolutionize air traffic control and make a lasting impact on aviation worldwide.  Our team makes a difference in supporting systems for the National Air Space which provides safe air travel to millions of passengers each year.  Our 9/80 work schedule offers flexibility to help successfully balance the work/life commitments. The mission is to provide world-class hardware and software development, integration, testing, and sustainment support for national air traffic control systems. This position is located at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace (WJHTCFAA) working directly with our customer.

Responsibilities and Scope:

In this position, the candidate will support hardware engineering, software development, technical documentation, on-site support, deployment, troubleshooting and software test for the STARS system.  The ideal candidate will work independently and collaboratively as part of a team, meet deadlines, and deliver accurate, compliant solutions.  Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential to develop test reports and technical communication used by team members, management, and the customer. Potential for software and hardware engineering work in new business pursuits also exists.  Most of the work is during standard business hours, however, testing events may take place in evening hours. Overtime work and work during non-standard business hours can occur during surge events.

What You Will Do:

• Work onsite at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace, working directly with our customers.
• Contribute to the cutting-edge STARS air traffic control system, the backbone of air traffic management in the United States.
• Work as an individual and as part of a team, meeting deadlines and providing accurate compliant solutions.
• Drive innovation by developing creative solutions to customer challenges.
• Play a key role in verifying requirements by developing compliance artifacts and acceptance documentation, ensuring the highest standards of performance and safety.
• Create significant enhancements in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems.
• Work with the hardware and software teams to support costs and schedule by working in a highly collaborative team environment, requiring frequent multi-level communication with other engineering domain team members, program management and external stakeholders.
• Support hardware and software development to include technical documentation, hardware/software testing, hardware/software enhancements, systems deployment, bug fixes, and troubleshooting.
• Occasional travel to other locations.

What You will learn:

• Gain an in-depth understanding of how traffic control systems operate and are modernized to improve national airspace safety.
• Master the application of rigorous testing and documentation practices in a government contracting environment.
• How to utilize your skillset to contribute to the next generation of airspace automation used by the FAA.

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 in Linux environments.
• U.S. citizenship is required - Only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under these programs/contracts.
• Must have or be capable of obtaining a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clearance to access secure information under program/contracts requirements.  

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Prior experience in Air Traffic Control, Airspace/Aircraft Services, Technical Operations, or in the usage, maintenance, and/or development of Air Traffic Systems is highly preferred.
• Layer 2 and 3 networking knowledge: Understanding of switching concepts, including Virtual LANs (VLANs), Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), trunking, network segmentation, routing protocols to include understanding unicast and multicast IP routing.
• Prior experience with network hardware: Hands-on experience configuring and maintaining network hardware from vendors such as Extreme, Avaya, Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and Palo Alto.
• Prior experience with programming skills in C, C++, Qt/Visual Studio development environment, scripting languages like Python, or modeling tools such as MATLAB.
• Prior experience with Jira, Jenkins and ClearCase, Git, and/or Bitbucket for configuration management and workflow management
• Prior experience in Cloud based systems, containers, and virtual machines.
• Prior experience supporting a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) government contract.
• Prior experience with Red Hat Linux 7/8/9.
• Prior experience with integration and test best practices and the ability to quickly learn new tools, processes, or systems.
• Prior experience with Microsoft Office Suite.

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!  

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. 

May be eligible for relocation.

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.

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 107,500 USD - 204,500 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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