Research Pilot Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Date Posted: 2026-07-27 Country: United States of America Location: US-IA-CEDAR RAPIDS-124 ~ 400 Collins Rd NE ~ BLDG 124 Position Role Type: Onsite U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements: Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the company’s immigration sponsorship now or in the future. The company will not offer immigration sponsorship for this position. The company will not seek an export authorization for this role. 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. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

The AI Sandbox team within Applied Research & Technology (ART) is seeking an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Infrastructure Engineer to architect and lead the evolution of our AI infrastructure for AI and GenAI applied research. This role facilitates rapid prototyping that transitions seamlessly into turnkey development environments, manages on-prem and cloud infrastructure, and supports developers working within RTX Digital Technology (DT) frameworks. This role will be worked onsite in Cedar Rapids, IA. Relocation assistance is available.

• Lead the architecture, design, and evolution of scalable AI infrastructure including GPU servers, Kubernetes clusters and supporting platform services
• Define the technical vision and deliver standardized AI development platforms and engineering workflows that enable secure, repeatable, and scalable AI research
• Enable AI researchers and developers by delivering secure, self-service development environments, container platforms, and engineering tooling that accelerate innovation and improve productivity
• Architect and oversee end-to-end AI platform capabilities, including containerized environments, source control, CI/CD pipelines, and developer tooling
• Manage DT-aligned platform operations including accounts, access, backups, compliance, and server configuration
• Implement and track required approvals, authorizations, and compliance activities
• Support and maintain on-prem and cloud-based environments within RTX’s DT ecosystem
• Evaluate and recommend emerging tools; support sandboxed pilots for AI infrastructure and MLOps/LLMOps capabilities
• Collaborate with ART, DT, and AI/ML teams to align infrastructure with research needs
• Travel up to 25%

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 10 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 7 years of experience
• Experience administering AI or compute-intensive infrastructure including GPU servers and Kubernetes clusters
• Experience with Linux, container runtimes, orchestration, and platform configuration
• Experience operating within enterprise IT frameworks requiring security, compliance, and access controls
• Experience supporting developers or researchers in platform, DevOps, or infrastructure engineering roles

• Kubernetes certifications or equivalent expertise
• Experience architecting, designing and operating AI infrastructure on Azure, AWS, or GPC, including GPU provisioning, Kubernetes services, networking, storage, identity and access management, security, and cost optimization
• Familiarity with AI/ML platforms, MLOps, or GenAI development workflows
• Experience with RTX DT processes, tools, and compliance requirements

• 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!

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.

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.

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.

*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. 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.

RTX 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, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 195,000 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, Virginia.

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