Systems Engineer II - KC-135 Platform (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-06-24



Country:

United States of America



Location:

US-IA-CEDAR RAPIDS-192 ~ 1205 Continental Place NE ~ BLDG 192



Position Role Type:

Onsite



U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.



Security Clearance Type:

None/Not Required



Security Clearance Status:

Not Required

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity 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.

The KC-135 Stratotanker provides the core aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 60 years. This unique asset enhances the Air Force’s capability to accomplish it primary mission of global reach. It also provides aerial refueling support to the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is the backbone of the USAF refueling fleet and is scheduled to remain so for decades to come. You will be on the KC-135 Platform Systems Team performing aircraft platform systems engineering tasks associated with design, development, integration, and test of various applications for use on the KC-135 platform.  

What You Will Do:

• Participate in the systems requirements capture, design, validation and verification of software for development of new work products or enhancement of existing applications and systems.
• Support cross-functional team development with both external customer stakeholders and internal software and hardware engineering teams.
• Perform Platform Systems specific on-site execution of requirements-based testing, robustness and ad-hoc testing in a simulated lab environment (schedule flexibility is necessary during formal test phases).
• Perform investigations of lab hardware and environment; including integration investigations of the interfaces for Collin Aerospace equipment and government furnished equipment in the lab.
• Have the potential opportunity to see your work in action by assisting in ground and flight test events at customer facilities.
• Communicate status on your assigned stories to your Agile team members.
• Collaborate in planning increments and sprints with Agile program leadership.
• Follow established development practices and processes to maintain the configuration management of the KC-135 system.
• Coordinate with your team and other software domain teams to identify and track dependencies.
• Travel (domestic-US, and possible International) is possible of this position, estimating <10% of the year.

What You Will Learn:

• Deepen your understanding of aircraft systems engineering, gaining insights into advanced integration and development processes.
• Build your leadership skills and influence major project outcomes.
• Expand your professional network, working alongside avionics experts and customers.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 2 years of prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field.
• Ability to obtain a US Department of Defense (DoD) SECRET security clearance if needed.
• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience.

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Experience with various engineering tools including TNT, DOORS/JAMA, JIRA, PREP, Microsoft, SVN and others is desired.
• Experience (military or civil aircraft) in avionics systems, specifically testing and troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge / understanding of data buses and protocols (Ethernet, MIL-STD-1553B, and ARINC-429).
• Experience in a Scaled Agile environment using Jira tracking.

What We Offer:

Benefits: 

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:    

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance   

• Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees   

• Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option   

• Tuition reimbursement program  

• Student Loan Repayment Program   

• Life insurance and disability coverage   

• Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection  

• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits  

• Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning   

• Adoption Assistance            

• Autism Benefit   

• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions   

• Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program  

• Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits   

• Bright Horizons, child and elder care services  

• Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program   

•  And more!   

This role may be eligible for relocation.

Learn More & Apply Now!

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 technologies.

Together, we will nurture an engineering culture that values intellectual curiosity, risk takers and integrity. A place where we will challenge ourselves, our teams, and the status quo and where we will work to find a way – the right way – to achieve what others can only dream of.

Onsite: Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products. 

At Collins, the paths we pave together lead to limitless possibility. And the bonds we form – with our customers and with each other -- propel us all higher, again and again.   

Apply now and be part of the team that’s redefining aerospace, every day. 

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 68,900 USD - 131,100 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

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.

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