Materials Engineering Principal Technical Fellow (Remote)

Date Posted:

2026-11-09

 Country:

United States of America

 Location:

US-VT-REMOTE

 Position Role Type:

Remote

 U.S. Citizen, U.S.

Person, or Immigration Status Requirements

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

 Security Clearance Type:

Secret - Current

 Security Clearance Status:

Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference by solving the world’s most complex problems. With three market-leading businesses, world-class operations, and significant investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunities no one else can.

Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world.

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced, intelligent solutions that help redefine the aerospace and defense industry. With a comprehensive portfolio and deep technical expertise, we help customers meet the demands of the global market. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Join our dynamic team as a Materials Engineering Principal Technical Fellow within the Applied Research & Technology (ART) organization. This prestigious role will provide technical and strategic leadership across Collins Aerospace and RTX, with a focus on advancing materials engineering capabilities and transitioning disruptive technologies from research into operational use for RTX-wide initiatives.

The Principal Technical Fellow will lead strategic technology roadmaps, collaborate with cross-functional and executive leaders, drive innovation, and provide enterprise-level mentorship across engineering disciplines.

This individual will serve as a recognized technical authority in Materials Engineering and will influence technical decisions, business strategy, and the development of next-generation materials, processes, and manufacturing technologies. Principal Technical Fellows are recognized as technical thought leaders setting and leading the direction within the Materials discipline across Collins, RTX and the industry.

As part of the prestigious Collins Aerospace Fellows Program, you will serve as a technical leader, innovator, mentor, and recognized subject matter expert. Fellows represent the top of our technical career ladder and play a critical role in ensuring the future competitiveness of our business.

What You Will Do

• Provide leadership to company-wide initiatives that advance product technology or discipline capability in support of the business strategy.
• Lead or contribute to RTX-wide initiatives.
• Advocate and foster growth opportunities for future RTX technologists.
• Partner with senior leadership, key stakeholders, and subject matter experts to identify and communicate strategic customer and business initiatives.
• Identify improvement opportunities and projects and help drive the business operations agenda.
• Lead development of new approaches to qualification, design, and automated manufacturing to reduce cost, improve performance, and increase manufacturability.
• Build and maintain relationships across departments and business units.
• Drive the transition of early-stage research into production environments, ensuring alignment with business strategy, engineering needs, and regulatory requirements.
• Present to internal and external audiences; lead proposal and white paper activities; and represent Collins Aerospace at technical conferences and working groups.
• Promote key development projects and ensure alignment with customer and program
• objectives.
• Engage across RTX Business Units and serve as a recognized technical expert with regulatory bodies, customers, and universities.
• Provide technical leadership to facilitate high-quality decisions, product competitiveness, and robust solutions.
• Share expertise across the enterprise and support TRL/MRL reviews, PDRs, and CDRs.
• Lead strategic plans to advance product technology and organizational capability.
• Identify external technology disruptors and evaluate their potential strategic applications.
• Maintain an active presence in external technical communities and government standards committees while helping shape the future of the business and emerging technologies.
• Ability to travel up to 25% to customers, Collins Aerospace and RTX sites, technical conferences, engineering laboratories, and other business locations

Qualifications You Must Have

• Experience creating and maintaining organizational or directorate-level strategic technology roadmaps, customer trend analyses, and assessments of disruptive technologies.
• Expert-level knowledge and mastery across multiple Materials Engineering disciplines, typically acquired through advanced academic qualifications and significant industry experience.
• Expertise in materials design, qualification, alloy development, coatings, automated synthesis, additive manufacturing, and/or related advanced materials technologies.
• Experience establishing or modifying customer requirements, processes, and procedures to drive positive business results.
• Experience advancing new materials capabilities, manufacturing processes, and/or system level design methodologies.
• Exceptional executive-level communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across business units and serve as a technical point of contact for critical Engineering activities.
• Demonstrated technical leadership through patents, publications, technical presentations, and engagement with industry and government stakeholders.
• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 14 years of prior relevant experience, or an Advanced Degree and a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience, unless prohibited by local laws/regulations.
• Active and transferable DoD Secret Clearance is required prior to start date.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Qualifications

We Prefer

• Experience with cost accounting structures and financial systems.
• Experience working with DARPA, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, or similar government research agencies.
• Knowledge of machine learning applications for materials engineering and digital engineering workflows.
• Exceptional analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to develop creative and innovative technical solutions.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing technical teams ranging from junior to midlevel engineers and analysts.
• Demonstrated ability to balance near-term development priorities with long-term technology and program objectives.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable business strategies.
• Active participation in external technical communities, government standards committees, and industry organizations.

Collins Aerospace makes modern flight possible. Of course, that wouldn’t be possible without the capabilities and technologies of our organization, as well as our engineers – a highly skilled, accomplished network that spans more than 180 sites, 24 countries and 6 Strategic Business Units (SBUs). Our industry-leading experts are setting the standards for the aerospace industry and paving the way for the future.

But as new challenges present themselves, we need fresh, creative and motivated minds to overcome these hurdles, help us break barriers and achieve new levels of innovation. Do you have what it takes to join a global organization that doesn’t shy away from big opportunities? If so, we invite you to join our ranks and create the next generation of aerospace tec