Principal Software Engineer

Date Posted: 2026-08-04 Country: United States of America Location: US-MA-WOBURN-WB1 ~ 235 Presidential Way ~ SPENCER BLDG Position Role Type: Onsite U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements: Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date.​ 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: Ability to obtain INTERIM U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date 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 opportunities no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world. At Raytheon, the foundation of everything we do is rooted in our values and a higher calling – to help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression. We bring 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. Our team solves tough, meaningful problems that create a safer, more secure world. The Raytheon team is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to support the Missile Defense Sensors (MDS) Software Department. The MDS Software mission is to provide world-class radar and Command and Control (C2) Software for our customers’ wide array of surveillance and warning systems. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the design, development, and delivery of mission-critical software solutions for programs such as the Army, Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance Model 2 (AN/TPY-2), Sea-Based X-Band Radar (XBR), Qatar Early Warning Radar (QEWR), Taiwan Surveillance Radar Program (SRP), and GLOBUS systems. This role requires advanced technical expertise, leadership skills, and a demonstrated ability to drive innovation and foster collaboration across cross-functional teams. You will also mentor junior engineers, contribute to strategic decision-making, and ensure the successful delivery of high-quality software solutions in a fast-paced, agile environment. What You Will Do Lead the design, development, testing, and deployment of complex software solutions in support of radar and Command and Control systems. Analyze, implement, and test software modifications to enhance the functionality, performance, and reliability of existing system baselines. Drive the resolution of complex software trouble reports, leveraging debugging tools to quickly identify and fix software defects while optimizing code for performance. Provide technical leadership in an agile execution environment, driving continuous improvement initiatives and ensuring adherence to industry best practices. Collaborate with systems engineers, integration and test engineers, and other stakeholders to define system requirements and ensure seamless integration of software components. Guide the development and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines and other automation tools to enable efficient software delivery. Act as a technical mentor and coach, delegating tasks and providing guidance to junior and mid-level engineers. Represent the software team in program-level discussions, providing technical expertise and ensuring alignment with program objectives. Stay current with emerging technologies and methodologies, driving innovation and advancing the technical capabilities of the team. What You Will Learn Advanced radar and Command and Control systems concepts, including real-time, mission-critical processing. Strategies for optimizing software performance and scalability in large, complex systems. Agile and DevSecOps best practices to improve software development, testing, and deployment processes. Leadership and mentorship techniques to foster collaboration and technical growth within the team. Cutting-edge tools and technologies for building and maintaining mission-critical software solutions. Qualifications You Must Have Typically requires a Bachelor’s in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and 8 years of prior relevant experience unless prohibited by local laws/regulations. Experience in C, C++, or Ada for software development, testing, and/or integration. Experience in agile software development methodologies, such as scrum, SAFe, or DevSecOps. Active and transferable U.S. government-issued Secret security clearance is required prior to start date. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance. Qualifications We Prefer Experience with leading technical discussions and mentoring team members. Experience in debugging tools to identify and resolve software bugs and optimize code for performance. Experience experience with radar software development and/or radar concepts. Experience in missile defense programs and large, complex systems. Experience working with tools such as Atlassian Suite (e.g., Bitbucket, Artifactory, JIRA, Confluence), Jenkins, Eclipse, and Ansible. Experience with Linux Operating Systems, particularly Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Experience with CI/CD environments and pipelines, including experience with DevSecOps. Experience with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make data-driven decisions in a fast-paced environment. Experience coaching and delegating work to junior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement. Experience in leadership in a team environment, driving creative solutions to complex technical problems. Learn More & Apply Now Please ensure the role type defined below is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role. This position is classified as: 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. Candidates will learn more about role type and current site status throughout the recruiting process. For onsite and hybrid roles, commuting to and from the assigned site is the employee’s personal responsibility. 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: 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 107,500 USD - 204,500 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. Privacy Policy and Terms: Click on this link to read the Policy and Terms