Senior Principal GPS Subsystem Engineer

Date Posted: 2026-07-07 | Location: Tucson, AZ (100% onsite) | U.S. citizenship required; active and transferable U.S. government issued Secret security clearance (or ability to obtain interim clearance) required prior to start date.

About the Role

RTX is seeking an experienced GPS Guidance Electronics Subsystem Engineer to join the Guidance Electronics Team supporting advanced missile systems. This role is responsible for the development, integration, analysis, and validation of GPS-based navigation solutions used in mission-critical defense applications. The selected engineer will work across the full product lifecycle, partnering with systems engineers, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering teams to develop and deliver advanced guidance electronics hardware.

What You Will Learn

• GPS Navigation Systems
• Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
• Guidance Electronics
• RF and Radar Systems
• Systems Engineering
• Hardware Integration & Test
• Modeling & Simulation
• Kalman Filtering
• Hardware Architecture Development
• Missile Guidance Systems

Responsibilities

• Develop GPS and navigation subsystem architectures for advanced missile systems.
• Define and decompose subsystem requirements into hardware and component-level requirements.
• Perform system analysis, modeling, simulation, integration, and validation activities.
• Develop test plans, verification strategies, and qualification methodologies.
• Conduct root cause analysis and failure investigations.
• Support hardware integration, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, environmental testing, and system validation.
• Interface directly with GPS, IMU, and navigation component suppliers to ensure technical and programmatic compliance.
• Participate in design reviews and provide technical leadership across engineering teams.
• Collaborate with systems engineering, program management, customers, and government stakeholders.
• Support multiple programs and product lines as required.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical development within the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 10 years of prior relevant experience.
• Minimum 10 years of engineering experience.
• Experience developing electrical hardware systems and subsystems.
• Experience with systems engineering, requirements development, requirements verification, and validation.
• Experience designing and developing RF-based electrical subsystems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with GPS and IMU navigation systems.
• Knowledge of integrated navigation solutions utilizing Kalman filtering techniques.
• Experience with military GPS technologies, including M-Code.
• Familiarity with MATLAB modeling and scripting.
• Experience with RF electronics, radar systems, antennas, analog RF circuitry, digital electronics, and configurable logic.
• Experience supporting missile systems, guidance electronics, or similar aerospace and defense applications.
• Knowledge of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, modeling and simulation, and environmental qualification testing.
• Understanding of Department of Defense hardware development processes and design reviews.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams.
• Experience managing technical supplier relationships.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
• Proposal development and capture support experience.

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
• Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs (dependent on role and business unit performance)

Pay

The salary range for this role is $132,400 – $251,600 USD.