Principal Mechanical Engineer, Control Algorithm & Simulation

Date Posted: 2026-08-20 | Location: Tucson, AZ (or Huntsville, AZ) | Onsite role | Active and transferable U.S. government issued DoD Secret security clearance required on day 1; U.S. citizenship is required.

About the Role

At Raytheon, we help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression. The Precision Control Actuation System (PCAS) department is seeking an expert controls systems engineer to support the development, build, and verification of control actuation systems for primarily control section Integrated Product Teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop flight actuation control system architectures and implement advanced control laws to maximize performance.
• Design and execute hardware tests, and analyze air performance simulation.
• Flex responsibilities based on organizational needs, including:
  • Analysis of missile servo position performance in simulation, ground, and flight test.
  • Development of high-fidelity motor and flexible gear train models containing nonlinearity and temperature dependencies.
  • Development and execution of test plans to verify performance against requirements and anchor models.
• Work autonomously with regular oversight, leveraging advanced knowledge of:
  • Air vehicle gear train dynamics and flight motor control.
  • Advanced control techniques, inertial sensors, and digital communications.

What You Will Learn

• Hands-on hardware work, including integration, testing, tuning, and verification.
• Direct access to subject matter experts through a dedicated control system technology pyramid, fostering accelerated technical growth.

Requirements

• Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant experience, or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 5 years of experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in air vehicle or missile flight actuation control design and/or analysis, including:
  • Control architecture design.
  • Requirements development.
  • Performance analysis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Systems or Mechanical Engineering of servo controls.
• Development of CAS requirements, architecture, risk assessment, verification and validation, system performance, safety, and environmental compliance.
• Experience with control actuation systems employing permanent magnet brush and brushless DC motor technology.
• Development or modification of code in MATLAB and Simulink.
• Testing high-power actuation systems under loads and temperature variations.
• Expertise in feedback control systems, including sizing, testing, integration, design-for-manufacturing, kinematic and dynamic simulation, and analysis.
• Research or applied experience in advanced control design techniques (e.g., nonlinear, robust, optimal, adaptive, fault-tolerant, real-time control).
• Experience with encoders, resolvers, gyros, power systems, and serial communication interfaces.
• Ability to deconstruct higher-level tasks into discrete work packages.
• Experience with system identification techniques for flexible body dynamics, motor control, and nonlinear systems.
• Experience with gimbaled and line-of-sight pointing and stabilization systems.
• Familiarity with embedded software development and hardware/software integration.
• Knowledge of system engineering design methods, including requirements analysis, specification derivation, and interface control documentation.
• Performance analysis via simulation, including verification and validation techniques.
• Ability to operate independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong communication skills with senior leadership and other engineering disciplines.
• Experience leading a control actuation development-focused team.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability.
• 401(k) match.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Flexible work schedules (where applicable).
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee Scholar Program (tuition assistance).
• Parental leave.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs (eligibility dependent on role and collective-bargaining agreements).

Pay

The salary range for this role is $107,500 – $204,500 USD. The range is representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including role, function, responsibilities, work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.