Principal Systems Engineer (Advanced Concepts)

For over 70 years, Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) has been recognized as a leader in the design, production, and support of communication and aviation electronics for customers worldwide. The company's unique balance of commercial and government customers allows it to maintain stability in a volatile marketplace. Leveraging developments across both markets enables Rockwell Collins to reduce costs, extend product viability, and enhance the capabilities of its systems.

This position is for a Principal Systems Engineer in the Commercial Systems Advance Concepts Group. This group develops and prototypes new flight deck and avionics systems for business, regional, and transport category commercial aircraft, with an emphasis on advanced display and control concepts. This group also identifies emerging avionics technology needs, maintains airspace regulatory roadmaps, and coordinates technology transfer into Commercial Systems.



The Principal Systems Engineer is responsible for conceiving and defining innovative new operational concepts, flight deck layouts, display formats and avionics systems architectures. The Principal Systems Engineer works with experienced staff to develop prototype hardware and software to demonstrate and evaluate the operational concepts in lab and flight test environments. The Principal Systems Engineer defines new avionics systems architectures, conducts system level trade studies, and works with multi-disciplinary teams to capture and allocate system requirements. Typical tasks include: identify and assess customer needs, conceive innovative new flight deck concepts and system architectures for next generation aircraft, participate in industry groups, perform architectural trade studies, prepare technical white papers, support business pursuit, product development, integration, and certification. Significant interaction with customers and with cross-disciplinary teams is expected; therefore, the candidate must have strong oral and written communication skills as well as good interpersonal and team skills. The successful candidate must have strong aviation human factors, avionics architecture, and commercial flight operations experience. Ability to write technical white papers, technical proposals, and formal system requirements is required.



The high level job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Significant domain knowledge of commercial fight operations, integrated avionics systems, and aviation human factors

Serve as a system architect to plan, capture and manage requirements, analyze, design, test and document systems of high complexity and may lead system integration

Recommend new approaches and techniques to achieve continuous improvement in systems development processes

Decisions may have major impact on cost, schedule, and technical performance

Act as a mentor to engineers in additional areas including career development

Lead and/or review proposals and participate in customer presentations

Estimate, track, and report project costs and schedules while managing scope & risk

Develop technical & product roadmaps and competitive assessments in area of expertise

May lead cross-functional / domain teams in a Project Engineering role.

This position requires a Bachelor's Degree in engineering or science and a minimum of 10 years related experience. Education/experience with aviation human factors, commercial avionics systems, and commercial flight operations is required. Familiarity with modern commercial flight deck displays, communication, navigation, and surveillance systems, and integrated avionics systems architectures is required. Familiary with non-avionics aircraft systems (e.g., utility systems) is a plus. Experience in Part 121 or Part 135 commercial aviation flight operations (e.g., fleet captain, management pilot, simulator instructor, ground school instructor, flight test engineer) is a strong plus.
REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's Degree in applicable engineering or science field or six years related exempt experience plus ten years related exempt experience.