Aerospace Engineer Contract Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Date Posted:
2026-06-29
Country:
United States of America
Location:
US-VA-ARLINGTON-108 ~ 1100 Wilson Blvd ~ ROSSLYN HQ
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
RTX Corporation is an Aerospace and Defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. It comprises three industry-leading businesses - Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 185,000 employees enable the company to operate at the edge of known science as they imagine and deliver solutions that push the boundaries in quantum physics, electric propulsion, directed energy, hypersonics, avionics and cybersecurity. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, VA.
What You Will Do:
Discover an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate your engineering career and develop into a future technical leader at RTX. Our two-year rotational Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP) - Aerospace/Mechanical Discipline provides challenging, high-visibility assignments across the enterprise, allowing you to build a powerful global network. You will receive high-caliber training, professional mentoring, and frontline, hands-on engineering experience directly within our cutting-edge manufacturing, design, and test environments. This fast-paced path expands your business acumen, sharpens your functional expertise, and prepares you to make a lasting impact on our global technology organization. Actively recruiting for the next cohort and program that begins June 2027.
Key Responsibilities:

• Complete three 8-month rotational assignments across various U.S. locations, adapting quickly to new technology centers, business units, and engineering teams.

• Execute core engineering milestones within one or more specialized program tracks, including mechanical systems design and development, structural testing simulations, thermal and fluid calculations, validation testing, and design process documentation.

• Stretch your professional and technical capabilities by taking ownership of frontline, hands-on mechanical and aerospace engineering deliverables.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with manufacturing, systems, and program management teams to define hardware requirements and optimize physical system architectures.

• Present technical reviews, simulation data, and strategic engineering updates clearly and effectively to varied stakeholders and leadership teams.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) major. Degree must be obtained by start date.

• Willing and able to operationally relocate to various RTX geographic locations across the United States for three distinct 8-month program assignments.

• Experience or coursework utilizing mechanical design or computer-aided drafting (CAD) tools, such as SOLIDWORKS, Creo, CATIA, or Autodesk Inventor.

• Experience or academic coursework across core mechanical and aerospace engineering domains, including mechanical systems design and development, structural or thermal testing simulations, engineering calculations and validation, or design process documentation.

• Relevant internship/co-op or work experience

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Active U.S. government secret security clearance.

• Self-motivated and team-oriented work style with the agility to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic technology and engineering environment.

• Experience or academic coursework with specialized aerospace systems, gas turbine engines, propulsion systems, or flight components.

• Experience or coursework in manufacturing engineering, tooling design, or repair engineering methodologies.

• Practical exposure to systems integration, multi-disciplinary test environments, or hardware validation testing.

• Familiarity with engineering programming and simulation software tools, such as MATLAB, Python, or ANSYS.

• Familiarity with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems (e.g., Teamcenter), Jira, or structured project engineering tools.

• Experience in computational simulation, finite element analysis (FEA), or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, or Abaqus.

• Hands-on build, test, or assembly experience working directly with physical engineering hardware, prototypes, or laboratory systems.

• Strong academic record as demonstrated by a GPA of 3.2 or greater

• Prior experience as an engineering intern or co-op within an RTX business unit (Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, or Raytheon).

What We Offer:

• Whether you're just starting out on your career journey or are an experienced professional, we offer a robust total rewards package with compensation; healthcare, wellness, retirement and work/life benefits; career development and recognition programs. Some of the benefits we offer include parental (including paternal) leave, flexible work schedules, achievement awards, educational assistance and child/adult backup care

• RTX leadership, functional and business acumen training

• Upon program completion, LDP graduates possess a solid platform of skills & experiences to launch a successful RTX career & receive continued mentorship

Learn More & Apply Now!

• Applicants MUST be willing/able to relocate for all rotations & have flexibility to travel/live anywhere

• Click and scroll to download a LDP Overview and map of onsite locations

• Rotation locations will vary & may be onsite, hybrid, or remote

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 59,000 USD - 139,000 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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