Principal Systems Engineer​/Architect

Principal Systems Engineer / Architect

Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, is recruiting an experienced Unmanned Systems Modelling & Control Engineer to lead and mentor a growing team working on autonomy and unmanned systems across air, land and maritime domains. Based at our Winnersh site near Reading with flexible/hybrid working.

• Lead the modelling & control discipline for unmanned systems, acting as technical leader and mentor for a growing team.
• Turn customer needs into system requirements and architectures, using Model-Based Systems Engineering to drive and verify design decisions.
• Develop high‑fidelity 6‑DOF models and flight‑critical control/autonomy algorithms (guidance, mission tasking, GNSS‑denied navigation, payload/sensor/comms models).
• Build and run integrated simulation and HIL/“Iron Bird” environments, bringing together models, control laws and embedded code for V&V and system integration.
• Implement and integrate control & autonomy code on embedded systems, defining data links, comms interfaces and human control interfaces for operators.
• Plan, support and participate in flight tests, trials and demonstrations, including live tuning and simulation‑backed test scenarios.
• Analyse flight/test data and resolve issues, using rapid analysis tools for debugging and fault‑finding in lab and field environments.
• Own technical quality, risk and compliance, including work with export‑controlled technologies (e.g. US ITAR).

• Regular UK and occasional international travel for trials, integration and customer demonstrations.
• Mix of office, lab, hangar and outdoor test range work, including time at remote or secure sites during campaigns.

• Ability to work around aircraft, vehicles and test rigs, stand for periods during tests, and handle light test equipment in lab and field conditions.

• Deeper expertise in high‑fidelity UAS modelling – building and validating 6‑DOF digital twin models using flight data, CFD outputs and real‑world test results.
• Advanced Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) – using models to drive system architecture, CONOPS, requirements capture and verification across complex, multi‑domain unmanned systems.
• State‑of‑the‑art control & autonomy – designing, tuning and deploying flight‑critical control laws, resilient guidance, mission tasking and GNSS‑denied navigation algorithms (A‑PNT, sensor fusion, etc.).
• End‑to‑end verification in the loop – developing and using Iron Bird testbeds, Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop rigs, embedded code integration and real‑time simulation environments for V&V.
• Flight test campaign design & execution – writing flight test protocols, supporting live tuning in the field, and using rapid post‑flight analysis tools and scripts to close the loop between model and reality.
• Robust communication & human–machine interfaces – defining data links between onboard and ground systems, and shaping human control interfaces for test pilots and multi‑UAS operators.
• Diagnostics in real environments – systematic fault‑finding and repair of complex UAS control, comms and payload systems in both lab and demanding field conditions.
• Leadership in a high‑end technical team – mentoring junior engineers, growing their modelling, control and systems thinking skills, and sharpening your own customer‑facing, risk and compliance (incl. ITAR) experience.

• Strong UAS modelling & control background
  • Expert in MATLAB / Simulink, including Stateflow, projects (requirements, version control, data dictionaries, test harnesses) and RTW / code generation for embedded processors.
  • Proven experience designing and validating 6‑DOF dynamic models and simulation model test harnesses.
• Unmanned systems & avionics integration experience
  • Hands‑on UAV Flight Control Computer (autopilot) / FMS integration and validation, ideally full lifecycle.
  • Experience defining and implementing onboard data interfaces (e.g. CAN, serial, Ethernet) and working with technical/system/wiring diagrams.
  • Experience integrating and testing UAS payloads and sensors (EO/IR/EW/LIDAR etc.) and comms/RC/datalink systems, including RF cabling.
• C…