Design Manager (Onsite)

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power systems, revolutionizing modern flight for over 100 years. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Pratt & Whitney is seeking a Design Manager to join our Hot Section Engineering (HSE) team within the Engineering Support to Operations (ESTO) organization. Based at our Compressor System Module Center facility in Middletown, CT, you will provide technical and organizational leadership for the engineering strategy and execution supporting our production rotor hardware family.

About the role

You will lead and develop a team of design engineers, drive engineering solutions that support production needs, and strengthen the team’s technical capabilities while advancing process improvements across the ESTO organization. This position is onsite and requires U.S. citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of design engineers supporting rotor hardware, establishing priorities, providing technical direction, and building engineering capability through targeted coaching, mentoring, and development plans.
• Establish and execute the production support strategy for the rotor hardware family, using engineering fundamentals, producibility data, Pro-Cert methodology, and lessons learned to drive timely, right-sized technical solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement across the ESTO design engineering organization by identifying opportunities for automation, process efficiency, and elimination of repetitive tasks and incorporating lessons learned into the product development cycle.
• Lead resource planning and assignment for Pratt & Whitney and outsourced engineering support, forecasting demand, addressing manpower gaps, and balancing resources to meet program and production requirements.
• Make risk-based technical and business decisions in a highly visible production environment, balancing engineering rigor, timeliness, cost, and hardware risk while communicating status, risks, and recommendations to cross-functional leadership and customers.
• Travel 20% (domestic and international) and support non-standard work hours when necessary to safely and efficiently meet production demand.

What You Will Learn

• Gain leadership experience managing and developing design engineers supporting complex aerospace hardware in a production environment.
• Develop expertise in Hot Section rotor hardware, producibility, production support, and cost-of-quality improvement.
• Strengthen skills in risk-based engineering decision-making, right-sized analysis, and data-driven problem-solving.
• Gain experience managing internal and outsourced engineering resources while balancing production demand, technical priorities, and organizational needs.
• Build executive and customer-facing communication skills through cross-functional collaboration, technical presentations, and high-visibility production support activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field from an ABET-accredited institution and 8 years of relevant engineering experience, or an Advanced degree in a related field and 5 years of relevant engineering experience.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience designing, developing, and supporting Hot Section or rotor hardware.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams and/or cross-functional technical teams, with the ability to prioritize multiple teams, hardware groups, and competing production requirements in a dynamic environment.
• Experience with production support, producibility, continuous improvement, and/or cost-of-quality initiatives.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage engineers, cross-functional partners, leadership, and customers.
• Experience working effectively across internal and outsourced engineering organizations, balancing resources and priorities to achieve business and production objectives.

About the Team

Engineering Support to Operations (ESTO): ESTO provides dedicated support by eliminating quality notifications, escapes, works stops and enabling producibility and delivery of legacy and new parts, assemblies, modules, and engines. ESTO covers all engine programs and part families, enabling engine deliveries, first piece reviews, first article inspections, analysis automation, and process certification. ESTO also supports the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) initiative in Operations. Technical disciplines in ESTO include Project Engineering, Mechanical Design, Structural Analysis, Product Definition, and Manufacturing Engineering.

Hot Section Engineering (HSE): HSE is responsible for the design, development, technology maturation and in-service support of all diffuser cases, combustors, turbines (vanes, blades, rotors and cases), augmenters (military), nozzles and associated fuel systems for all military, commercial and industrial engine models and radial auxiliary power units. Technical disciplines in HSE include Project Engineering, Mechanical Design, Structural Analysis, Durability and Product Definition.

Pay

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

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance, short-term disability, and 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 programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.