Senior Principal Software Architect (Onsite)

Location: Richardson, TX (Onsite)

Active and transferable U.S. government issued Secret security clearance is required prior to start date. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

About the role

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, is seeking a Senior Principal Software Architect to join a team of 20+ software engineers developing a Very Low Frequency (VLF) solution for the military. The role focuses on enhancing cyber security threat protection, software assurance, availability, and reliability while leveraging the latest technologies for rapid development and deployment.

This position is eligible for a sign-on bonus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with software, systems, and hardware engineers to design and develop solutions for controlling and monitoring mission-critical VLF transmitters.
• Define, evolve, and optimize software and simulation design across mission-critical embedded platforms.
• Serve as technical lead for cross-functional development, ensuring alignment between software solutions and hardware/platform constraints.
• Mentor engineering teams on architectural best practices, modularity, code structure, and performance tradeoffs in real-time systems.
• Identify optimization opportunities and collaborate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on architecture-level decisions to meet system constraints.
• Define software requirements and Unified Modeling Language (UML) design diagrams using Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools.
• Develop and integrate multi-threaded embedded software using C and C++ within a Real Time Operating System (RTOS).
• Support integration and verification within an automated test framework (gtest, Python, JSON).
• Enhance simulation elements to reflect new hardware capabilities.
• Drive technical design and software development practices to meet Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs).
• Support document updates to meet customer Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL).
• Provide insight on future scope, task assignments, and process improvements within an Agile cadence.

What You Will Learn

• Full software development lifecycle within the defense industry.
• Agile development in a classified environment.
• Integration and validation on various hardware controller cards.
• Best practices in secure software coding for embedded systems.
• Opportunities to grow into Technical Lead or Product Owner roles.

Requirements

• Extensive experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS), including development, debugging, and performance optimization of embedded software.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), system decomposition, and interface control across disciplines.
• Experience with software lifecycle processes, configuration control, and change management in high-integrity development environments.
• Active and transferable Secret U.S. government-issued security clearance (required prior to start date).
• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, or an Advanced Degree with 7 years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with multithreading, memory management, and performance optimization in complex environments.
• Experience in secure coding practices.
• Experience with hardware-software integration and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
• Experience with development tools such as Jira, Git, Visual Studio Code, and CMake.
• Experience with Qt framework and development tools for generating C++ and QML code.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and understand system-level hardware interfaces.
• Expertise in Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) supporting C++-based application frameworks.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees.
• Generous 401(k) plan with 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: pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection.
• Birth, adoption, and parental leave benefits.
• Ovia Health: fertility and family planning.
• Adoption Assistance and Autism Benefit.
• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions.
• Wellness rewards program (Healthy You Incentives).
• Virtual doctor visits (Doctor on Demand).
• Child and elder care services (Bright Horizons).
• Second opinion program (Teladoc Medical Experts).
• Eligible for relocation assistance.

Pay

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