Principal Mechanical Engineer

About the Role

The Shipboard Effectors Department is seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to support Standard Missile and Patriot products and subsystems in Huntsville, Alabama. This role performs responsibilities in design, development, and production support associated with mechanical designs, validation principles, qualification processes, procurement, and production processes across a design life cycle.

What You Will Do

• Contribute to contract‑funded research efforts at various development phases (proposal, design, integration/test).
• Communicate with cross‑disciplinary engineering team members and suppliers to analyze, model, and document the design technical data package (TDP) and its compliance with requirements.
• Act as the responsible engineer, often managing entire subsystems, directing, delegating, and reviewing work of others with limited supervision.
• Perform mechanical design, development, and documentation of components, sub‑assemblies, and major end items for defense system equipment in accordance with system requirements.
• Collaborate across disciplines—Structural and Thermal analysis, Materials Engineering, Quality, Safety, Supply Chain—to integrate designs.
• Lead a team (or teams) with limited supervision and meet commitments for schedule, financial, and technical goals.
• Support suppliers with product integration.
• Apply knowledge of Thermal, Structural, Dynamic, and Reliability analysis to support mechanical design decisions.
• Perform and review tolerance analyses to ensure form, fit, and function meet intended use.
• Improve new and existing designs using Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) and Design for Producibility principles.
• Apply technical problem solving and hardware development skills in a fast‑paced, team environment.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) with at least 8 years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree with at least 5 years of experience.
• Experience with CREO (or equivalent CAD tool).
• Experience developing and executing a plan to develop a mechanical component or subsystem.
• Understanding of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), basic tolerance analyses, and drawing practices for mechanical hardware.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance (DoD Secret).

Qualifications We Value

• Four years of professional experience in mechanical design and documentation within the aerospace & defense industry.
• Advanced degree in an engineering discipline.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (modeling and drawing).
• GD&T per ANSI Y14.5.
• Ability to work both independently and in teams, with initiative and flexibility.
• Experience in mechanical subsystem packaging, materials, thermal, structural analysis, energetics principles, control systems, interconnect, airframe, or large assembly development.
• Willingness to support tasks across design development and production support as experience allows.
• Proficiency in CREO (modeling and drawing) and Windchill (PDM).
• Travel to government and other facilities to support program activities.

What We Offer

• Our values drive safety, trust, respect, accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
• Relocation eligibility.

Additional Information

Employees who work onsite will work primarily onsite, including all production and maintenance employees essential to development.

As part of our commitment to a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select interview steps in-person at an office location, regardless of the role’s on‑site, hybrid, or remote designation.

The salary range for this role is $107,500 - $204,500 (USD). Benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term and long‑term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance programs, parental leave, paid time off, holidays, and other benefits dependent on business unit and labor agreements.

In addition, hired applicants may be eligible for short‑term and/or long‑term incentive compensation programs, dependent on level and business unit agreements.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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 protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans according to federal regulations.

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