Senior Principal Mechanical Engineer - Propellant Actuated Device (PAD) Domain Leader (Onsite)

Date Posted : 2025-08-22

Country :

United States of America

Location :

HCA09 : Mission Sys (Propulsion) 3530 Branscombe Road , Fairfield, CA, 94533 USA

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 :

None / 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.

As a Propellant Actuated Device (PAD) Domain Lead Engineer, this position will apply scientific principles to innovate, design, develop, and implement technologies, components, sub-systems, machines, tools, and systems to ensure compliance with specifications, requirements, and customer guarantees across applicable operating conditions. PAD products would include, but are not limited to, rocket motors, gas generators, separation motors, thrusters, and propellant casting & mixing for military and commercial applications. The PAD Domain Leader ensures novel ideas and implementations are captured and protected using applicable Intellectual Property (IP) processes and tools. Supports review of analysis at all levels of the total system product including concept, design, fabrication, modeling, test, installation, operation, maintenance and disposal. Supports technical planning, system integration, verification and validation, failure analysis, cost and risk, and supportability and effectiveness analyses for total product systems. Considers and evaluates alternatives accounting for similar metrics. Supports configuration process, performs functional analysis, timeline analysis, detail trade studies, requirements allocation and interface definition studies to translate customer requirements into hardware and software specifications. Ensures the logical and systematic conversion of product requirements into total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints. Review and approve decomposition of customer specifications and system level requirements into sub-system and piece part requirements and verification criteria and plans for the requirements.

This position will implement functional strategies and establish operational plans for the work area and PAD product lines. This position is recognized as a master within the discipline, having deep knowledge of theory and organizational practices within the specific discipline. The problems faced are typically complex, requiring mastery of product and organizational practices. This role will assist in the development and implementation of new products, processes, standards and operational plans that will have an impact on the achievement of functional results. Additionally, this position will be expected to analyze and significantly improve existing processes and practices.

The Domain Lead provides technical leadership within the PAD discipline and is accountable for technical design and task assignments within a specific domain. This leader is considered a technical expert within his or her domain and is the primary subject-matter expert for the domain throughout a service, product or program life cycle. The PAD Domain Lead is the point of contact for solution-specific onboarding and mentoring, within the lead’s domain team, on a project and is required to be closely accountable to the project or program lead for meeting the allocated requirements and technical performance measures. The PAD domain lead should have significant knowledge of company and industry practices and standards.

What You Will Do

Lead the technical solution for the propellant product lines

Serve as the design lead of the propellant domain to capture, analyze, decompose, translate and create requirements. Refine functional, interface, and performance specifications for design implementation.

Identify and assist with mitigation of technical risks associated within the domain

Works with and supports the program or project lead to assign implementation tasks within the domain team

Serves as the domain subject matter expert by assisting technical expertise for proposal generation internal designs, and customer reviews

Accountable for ensuring that development products or services provided are designed to meet the applicable Collins, business unit and customer / project / service requirements

Leads teams with subject matter expertise in design, development, test, analysis, integration, qualification, failure analysis and documentation generation of domain products or services

Responsible for supporting the development of domain metrics, as defined by the program or project lead, to ensure requirements and technical performance measures are achieved, and defects are minimized; analyzes metrics and takes appropriate action

Responsible for participating in cross-functional team efforts in definition, implementation and development, integration, verification and validation of products, services and systems

Accountable for recommending to the program or project lead technical options as the subject matter expert, which may have impact on cost, schedule, and performance

Supports non-advocate and design reviews

Responsible for mentoring junior staff as a subject matter expert

Recognized technical expert in the most important, complex, or difficult projects.

Designs and manages complex engineering systems over their life cycles.

Support establishing plans and strategy for requirements management, reliability, logistics, coordination of different teams, evaluation measurements, and other disciplines for large or complex projects.

Ensures that all likely aspects of a project or system are considered and integrated into a whole.

Recommends investments or changes in technology, resources, procedures, equipment, systems, or other assets to improve the quality of the organization’s products and projects.

Provides expertise in the decomposition of customer specifications and system level requirements into subsystem and piece part requirements and makes recommendations for the generation of verification criteria and plans for the requirements.

Support failure investigations as the lead technical Subject Matter Expert.

Qualifications You Must Have

Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 10 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 7 years of experience

Small rocket motor design and manufacturing trouble shooting experience

Experience with handling energetic materials

Experience in Systems Requirement / artifact breakdown

Experience in Mechanical Design Maturity

Experience root cause analysis

Safety Critical Designs experience

What We Prefer

Advanced degree in Aerospace / mechanical engineering

15 years experience small rocket motor manufacturing and design

10 years experience with handling and processing of energetic / hazardous materials

MRB concepts like flight critical, managing non-conforming products

propulsion concepts like case-bonded and cartridge loaded designs, total thrust, specific impulse

material properties for nozzles, propellants, liners, cases

mentoring junior engineers and scientists, authoring technical reports and presenting to critical audiences

manufacturing concepts including configuration management, standard operating procedures

manufacturing strategies including lining, casting, machining, assembly

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 137,000 USD - 275,000 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.