Sr. Principal High Temperature Materials Engineer

Date Posted:

2026-04-27

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-AZ-TUCSON-M02 ~ 1151 E Hermans Rd ~ BLDG M02

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

The Materials and Process Engineering Department, which functions within Hardware Engineering, is looking for a Senior Principal High Temperature Materials Engineer to join our Advanced Materials Section in Tucson, Arizona. A qualified candidate will have a strong background in high temperature material testing and material manufacturing methods. This position will offer a qualified candidate the opportunity to work in integrated product teams to incorporate high temperature materials into deliverable products and aid in the assessment of system performance. A candidate must be able to manage and coordinate a wide variety of simultaneous tasks within set schedule requirements. This candidate will become part of a multi-disciplined team. The candidate will define design verification test requirements to ensure that key performance characteristics and potential environmental interaction effects are quantified within program cost and schedule constraints. Deliverables will include test documentation, data analysis, anomaly resolution, results documentation, and presentation of results to both internal and external customers.

What You Will Do

• You will serve as a technical leader for material decisions who will define where a program or product line is heading or needs to go, while considering the technical and programmatic aspects of how to get there. You must then drive the execution of that strategy across multiple programs.

• You will be viewed as an expert and serve as a subject matter expert to the organization in determining and developing required technologies to achieve organization growth objectives in high temperature applications.

• You will be a technical lead in a team environment on diverse projects, providing independently determined solutions to create high fidelity simulations and models for missile system design, performance assessment, flight test support, trade studies and analysis.

• You will provide mentorship and shoulder-to-shoulder empirical experience for engineers.

• You will work independently or through leadership of teams to solve the hardest high temperature materials challenges.

• You will be a strong advocate for technical integrity of and have advanced experience/knowledge in high temperature material disciplines such as:

• High temperature metals, composites, and coatings, and their fabrication processes.

• High temperature materials spanning the technologies of Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC), Carbon/Carbon (C/C), SiC (Si/C) ceramics, RF and EOIR apertures, refractory metals, ablative coatings, and high temperature alloys.

• Environmental barrier and oxidation resistant coatings, component integration and materials modeling.

• Heat management and rapid heat transfer techniques.

• Related manufacturing technologies, integration, and environmental testing.

• High temperature test methods such as arc-jet.

• Experience with Root Cause / Corrective Action resolution.

• Expectations of the role: Potential SAP/Program access needs

• Travel requirements: as needed to support programs and work with vendors

The Sr. Principal High Temperature Materials Engineer job is in Tucson, AZ and the position is onsite.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Typically requires A University Degree or equivalent experience and minimum 10 years prior relevant experience, or An Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 7 years experience.

• Experience in design and development (i,.e, material selections manufacturing, and/or suppliers in materials or mechanical engineering related projects)

 

Qualifications We Prefer

• Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science/Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related disciplines.

• Strong verbal and communication skills, proven capability interacting with cross-functional teams, interacting with teammates of varied experience (students, professors, industry members)

• Good analytical and problem-solving skills

• Ability to determine root cause and solutions to problems in an expeditious manner

• Highly skilled in troubleshooting, problem solving, and analysis

• Experience working on programs, projects, or products associated with the Defense Industry

• Ability to lead and execute project work independently

• Demonstrate multi-task capabilities in fast paced environment.

• Understanding of technology transfer to manufacturing and process release concepts

• Experience working with engineering drawings

• Understanding of material safety datasheets, military specifications, and ASTM test methods

• Experience with mechanical and/or chemical analysis methods and characterization techniques

• Ability to write concise technical reports summarizing analyses

• Demonstrated ability to lead and complete scientific based projects including failure analysis investigations

• Proficient in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Strong communication, interpersonal, planning and time management skills

• ABET is the preferred, although not required, accreditation standard.

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.

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.

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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 132,400 USD - 251,600 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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