Program Chief Engineer - Tactical Portfolio (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-04-23

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-CA-GOLETA-B01 ~ 6825 Cortona Dr ~ BLDG B01

Position Role Type:

Onsite

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

The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required.​ U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance

Security Clearance Type:

DoD Clearance: Secret

Security Clearance Status:

Active and existing security clearance required after day 1

At RTX, the world 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. 

Raytheon brings the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. We deliver solutions that help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression, creating a safer, more secure world. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Raytheon Vision Systems is seeking a Program Chief Engineer to shape and lead the technical execution of our Tactical Programs portfolio. The Chief Engineer serves as the program’s technical authority, owning requirements, architecture, technical integrity, and cross-functional engineering execution while representing the program to customers and RTX leadership.  The Program Chief Engineer will establish and manage a program’s vision, strategy and goals and align the program with customer requirements while leading a multi-disciplined team in resolving complex technical problems.  The Chief Engineer ensures the technical integrity of the program and engineering execution across all Integrated Product Teams, Cross Product Teams, and disciplines within the Program.  The Program Chief Engineer is also the primary program technical point of contact with the customer’s senior technical counterparts. This role will require occasional travel with anticipated engagements with senior customers and mission partners.

This is an onsite role in Goleta, California.

What You Will Do

• Ensure successful end‑to‑end technical execution, meeting performance, cost, schedule, and risk objectives across the program lifecycle.
• Define program technical risk posture and deliver balanced, technically sound risk-mitigation strategies.
• Own the 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.
• 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
• 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.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 12 years of prior relevant experience.
• Experience in airborne, space, missile, or land based electro-optic sensing systems and/or Integrated Detector Cooler Electronics Assembly (IDECA) design, development, integration, test, qualification, and production.
• Lead Systems Engineer (LSE), or Integrated Product Team Lead experience.
• Prior experience on major proposals as technical and/or cost lead.
• Experience briefing internally and externally at the senior executive level.

Qualifications We Prefer  

• Factory production and test experience.
• Optical System Design experience.
• High Reliability Military Requirements Design experience.
• Government System Level Qualification experience.
• Development Program Transition to Production experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (written, verbal, and presentation) and ability to effectively communicate with Integrated Product Team Leads (IPTLs), multi-disciplinary Engineering teams (Hardware, Software, Mechanical, Logistics, etc.), Development and Specialty Engineers, Program Managers, and customers.
• Strong systems and design engineering experience, with demonstrated ability to establish a technical baseline with disciplined change management, while operating in a rapid development environment.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, lead, and execute root-cause and corrective-action (RCCA) efforts.
• Experience leading a multi-disciplinary team, requiring experience across all design engineering disciplines, as well as technical supplier management, business development, and program leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading engineering teams in a matrix reporting organization.
• Independently interact and lead engagements with company management.
• Provide both professional and technical team mentoring across a mix of cross-functional disciplines, staff backgrounds and experiences.

What We Offer

• Our values drive our actions, behaviors, and performance with a vision for a safer, more connected world. At RTX we value: Safety, Trust, Respect, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovation.

• Relocation Eligible – Relocation assistance is available.

Learn More & Apply Now!

• Please consider the following role type definition as you apply for this role. 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.

• This position requires a security clearance. DCSA Consolidated Adjudication Services (DCSA), an agency of the Department of Defense, handles and adjudicates the security clearance process. More information about Security Clearances can be found on the US Department of State government website here: https://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/c10978.htm 

• Goleta, CA: Raytheon Goleta, CA Location

• We Are RTX

#LI-Onsite

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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 172,900 USD - 328,700 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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