Portfolio Chief Engineer - Emerging Innovation; Onsite

Portfolio Chief Engineer

Location:

Goleta, California. Travel up to 25% will be required. Security clearance:
Active U.S. Secret clearance required. Must be U.S. citizen. This position is onsite.

• Ensure successful end‑to‑end technical execution, meeting performance, cost, schedule, and risk objectives across the program lifecycle across a portfolio of programs.
• Define program technical risk posture and deliver balanced, technically sound risk‑mitigation strategies.
• Own the portfolio system architecture, technical baseline, requirements, and interface control documents (ICDs).
• Lead technical trade studies, modeling/simulation, flow‑downs, verification/validation strategies, and test plans.
• Ensure technical integrity and compliance to performance, cost, schedule, and manufacturability objectives.
• Manage a team of Engineering IPT leads for EI programs (IRAD/CRAD and early‑phase CRs), integrating plans across disciplines.
• Drive technical risk/opportunity management, performance parameter tracking, and corrective actions using EVMS data.
• Serve as the primary technical face with RTX leadership, suppliers, and customers (e.g., DARPA, AFRL, ONR, NAVSEA, MDA, prime integrators).
• Author and present technical content: briefs, test reports, demo plans/results, and maturation roadmaps.
• Accelerate TRL/MRL growth for EO/IR technologies and subsystems.
• Partner with manufacturing, supply chain, and quality to enable DFM/DFT and production transition readiness.

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 12 years of prior relevant experience.
• Experience as Chief Engineer/Technical Lead for complex electro‑optical or sensing systems.
• Experience in EO/IR system development: focal plane arrays, ROICs, optics, cryogenic systems, sensor calibration, and data paths.
• Experience with program design reviews, integration & test, verification/validation, and readiness reviews.
• Experience with EVMS, risk management, and technical metrics; ability to balance performance/cost/schedule.

• Experience with government advanced development programs (DARPA/AFRL/ONR) and prime integration partners.
• Experience with environmental/qualification testing reliability, and manufacturability.
• Familiarity with cryocoolers, vacuum packaging, microelectronics assembly, and precision opto‑mechanical design.
• Proposal leadership (SOW/BOE development), WBS planning, staffing forecasts, and cost‑volume authorship.
• Demonstrated IP generation (patents/disclosures) and publications in relevant technical domains.
• Ability to mentor and develop technical leads, IPT owners, and early‑career engineers.
• Excellent communication skills; strong customer‑facing presence and technical storytelling.
• Demonstrated ability to define technology roadmaps, influence product line strategy, and guide long‑term investment planning.

• Relocation Eligible – Relocation assistance is available.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified individuals with a disability and protected veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.