Snr Principal Systems Engineer - Architect – Command & Control

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is seeking an experienced Senior Principal Systems Engineer – Architect – Command & Control to shape future Command & Control systems. The role is based in Winnersh, UK (Hybrid).

Modern missions depend on fast, secure, and resilient information. Command & Control systems connect people, platforms, sensors, networks, and decision‑making tools in a reliable, scalable, and operationally effective way. In this role you will help define the systems that make that possible.

• Identify emerging and future technologies in Command & Control, including communications, networking, AI, autonomy, and information management.
• Define and develop CONEMP and CONOPS for mission systems, describing how systems will be used in real operational scenarios and deliver value at system‑of‑systems level.
• Capture, analyse and translate customer needs into clear system requirements, architectures, and technical solutions.
• Develop and assess architecture options, conduct technical trade studies, and produce clear recommendations balancing capability, cost, risk, complexity and delivery feasibility.
• Support bids and early‑stage programme activity by shaping technical solutions, delivery plans, estimates and work‑breakdown structures.
• Provide technical leadership and systems‑engineering guidance throughout the lifecycle, delivering against time, cost and quality expectations.
• Act as a technical mentor, support others in delivering high‑quality engineering outputs, and develop capability across the wider team.
• Collaborate with internal Collins teams, RTX business areas, external suppliers, Business Development, Programme Management and technical specialists to develop integrated solutions.
• Identify technical risks and mitigations, support technical governance and ensure appropriate engineering plans are followed throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support design activity involving export‑controlled technologies, including awareness of US ITAR controls where applicable.

• Strong capability across the full engineering lifecycle, especially in early‑stage concept development, requirements definition and architecture design.

• Experience handling uncertain or evolving customer needs and shaping them into structured technical direction.

• Deep knowledge of military communication systems, heterogeneous networks, networking concepts and security functions.

• Experience defining and eliciting system and subsystem requirements, developing high‑level architectures and applying systems‑engineering methods, tools and processes to guide technical delivery.

• Ability to engage with technical and non‑technical stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, engineering teams, programme teams and business development colleagues.

• Sound engineering judgement based on requirements, constraints, risks, costs and delivery realities.

• Systems engineering across the full lifecycle.
• Early‑stage concept development and solution shaping.
• Requirements capture, definition and analysis.
• System architecture development.
• Military communications systems.
• Heterogeneous networks.
• Networking and security functions.
• Model‑Based Systems Engineering.
• Enterprise Architect, Cameo, IBM DOORS or similar toolsets.
• Verification and validation approaches.
• Technical trade studies and option analysis.
• Technical bid support, delivery planning and estimating.
• Technical risk identification and mitigation.
• Cross‑functional technical team coordination.
• Stakeholder communication across technical and non‑technical audiences.

• Airborne, land or maritime system architectures.
• Aerospace, land or maritime system integration.
• Communications standards, datalinks and protocols, including Link
  16 C2 or information management systems.
• Autonomy within C2, networking or information management environments.
• Open or reference architectures such as MOSA, SOSA, Pyramid or MDIS.
• Routing and switching technologies, including Cisco, Aruba or Juniper SD‑WAN technologies.
• Firewalls and network security.
• Wireless networks.
• Cloud networking, including Azure or AWS.
• Microservices or cloud‑based software…