Principal Software Engineer

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 employees unite to solve complex problems and push the boundaries of science to connect and protect the world. The Raytheon team is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to support the Missile Defense Sensors (MDS) Software Department, which provides world-class radar and Command and Control (C2) software for surveillance and warning systems.

This onsite role in Woburn, MA requires an active and transferable U.S. government-issued Secret security clearance prior to the start date. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

About the role

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the design, development, and delivery of mission-critical software solutions for programs such as the Army, Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance Model 2 (AN/TPY-2), Sea-Based X-Band Radar (XBR), Qatar Early Warning Radar (QEWR), Taiwan Surveillance Radar Program (SRP), and GLOBUS systems. This role requires advanced technical expertise, leadership skills, and the ability to drive innovation and collaboration across cross-functional teams. You will mentor junior engineers, contribute to strategic decision-making, and ensure the successful delivery of high-quality software in a fast-paced, agile environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, testing, and deployment of complex software solutions for radar and Command and Control systems.
• Analyze, implement, and test software modifications to enhance functionality, performance, and reliability of existing system baselines.
• Drive the resolution of complex software trouble reports using debugging tools to identify and fix defects while optimizing code for performance.
• Provide technical leadership in an agile execution environment, ensuring adherence to industry best practices and driving continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with systems engineers, integration and test engineers, and other stakeholders to define system requirements and ensure seamless integration of software components.
• Guide the development and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines and automation tools to enable efficient software delivery.
• Mentor and coach junior and mid-level engineers, delegating tasks and providing technical guidance.
• Represent the software team in program-level discussions, providing technical expertise and ensuring alignment with program objectives.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and methodologies to drive innovation and advance the team’s technical capabilities.

What You Will Learn

• Advanced radar and Command and Control systems concepts, including real-time, mission-critical processing.
• Strategies for optimizing software performance and scalability in large, complex systems.
• Agile and DevSecOps best practices to improve software development, testing, and deployment.
• Leadership and mentorship techniques to foster collaboration and technical growth.
• Cutting-edge tools and technologies for building and maintaining mission-critical software.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and 8+ years of relevant experience (unless prohibited by local laws/regulations).
• Experience in C, C++, or Ada for software development, testing, and/or integration.
• Experience with agile software development methodologies (e.g., Scrum, SAFe, DevSecOps).
• Active and transferable U.S. government-issued Secret security clearance (required prior to start date).
• U.S. citizenship (required for security clearance eligibility).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading technical discussions and mentoring team members.
• Proficiency with debugging tools to identify and resolve software bugs and optimize performance.
• Experience with radar software development and/or radar concepts.
• Experience with missile defense programs and large, complex systems.
• Familiarity with tools such as Atlassian Suite (Bitbucket, Artifactory, JIRA, Confluence), Jenkins, Eclipse, and Ansible.
• Experience with Linux Operating Systems, particularly Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
• Experience with CI/CD environments and DevSecOps pipelines.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make data-driven decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coaching and delegating work to junior engineers to foster technical excellence.
• Leadership in team environments, driving creative solutions to complex technical problems.

Pay

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

Benefits

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