Principal Systems Engineering Lead; Onsite

Systems Engineering Team Lead

The Propeller Systems Engineering organization is seeking a customer-focused, technically strong Systems Engineering Team Lead to support both in-service propeller products and new product development. This role spans system design, validation, upgrade execution, and field support activities across military and commercial platforms. The position involves frequent collaboration with U.S. military customers, operators, maintainers, airframe manufacturers, engine manufacturers, and internal teams.

The ideal candidate brings strong systems engineering expertise—systems architecture, modeling, requirements development and management, and verification & validation—along with the ability to guide a high-performing team through complex technical challenges.

This is an onsite position in Windsor Locks, CT. It can be a hybrid role of 4 days onsite 1 day remote.

Reporting to the Propeller Systems Windsor Locks site engineering manager, combining individual technical contribution with leadership of a small systems engineering team of 3-4 engineers. The Team Lead will oversee key engineering activities, support project proposal development, manage performance milestones, and ensure effective use of engineering resources to meet program objectives, but is not responsible for performance reviews and line managerial tasks.

The Propeller System's engineering organization in Windsor Locks is a small organization in comparison to many other product lines providing excellent opportunities for motivated engineers to work across multiple specialties supporting the full lifecycle of a product. In this role the systems team lead will directly influence the safety, reliability, and performance of propeller systems used across global military and commercial fleets.

What You Will Do

• Lead systems engineering efforts for both existing product support and new product development on military and commercial propeller-driven aircraft platforms. Activities include:
• Participating in and supporting customer technical meetings
• Conducting systems-level investigations for field issues and manufacturing concerns, including root-cause identification and corrective action development
• Identifying upgrade opportunities and problem-solving pathways
• Leading software and hardware upgrade projects, including verification, validation, and certification activities
• Supporting on-aircraft testing, integration, and troubleshooting
• Coordinate propeller control and modeling development efforts with local and international engineering teams
• Coordinate technical aspects of supplier designed equipment development through creation of specifications and evaluation of the results of verification/validation activities performed by a third party
• Oversee and contribute to propeller systems architecture definition, modeling, requirements development, and verification/validation throughout all program phases
• Perform systems analysis across the entire product lifecycle—from concept and design through fabrication, test, installation, operation, maintenance, and retirement
• Lead technical planning, project execution, and systems engineering cost and risk assessments
• Translate customer and system-level requirements into subsystem and component-level requirements and develop associated verification criteria and plans
• Interface with internal stakeholders, external customers (including military organizations, power plant manufacturers, and aircraft OEMs), and suppliers
• Troubleshoot complex hydraulic, electronic, and mechanical systems to support fielded products and development programs
• Oversee propeller engineering test rig upgrade and modernization programs to include sustainment of rigs used to support propeller development and investigations
• Develop strategies and plans for requirements management, reliability, logistics, cross-functional communication, and performance evaluation for large or complex programs
• Guide the team responsible for requirements processing, verification planning, and customer specification analysis
• Recommend technology, resource, process, or system improvements to enhance program quality and execution
• Collaborate regularly with engineering, manufacturing, and leadership teams in both Windsor Locks, CT and Figeac, France.
• Domestic and international travel is required to support suppliers, customers, and aircraft operators (less than 20%)

Must Have Qualifications

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 8 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 5 years of experience
• System Engineering experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Aerospace experience
• Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering
• Control system design and testing including software preferred (with DO178)
• Experience with hydraulic/mechanical control systems engineering development and service support
• Engineering and RRCA investigations experience
• Cyber Security familiarity or…