The future is what you make it.
When you join Honeywell Aerospace, you become a member of our global team of thinkers, innovators, dreamers and doers who make the things that make the future. That means changing the way we fly, fueling jets in an eco-friendly way, keeping buildings smart and safe and even making it possible to breathe on Mars. Working at Honeywell Aerospace isn’t just about developing cool things. That’s why our employees enjoy access to dynamic career opportunities across different fields and industries.
Are you ready to help us make the future?
We are seeking a highly capable Lead R&D Engineer/Scientist to guide the technical performance of a multidisciplinary team developing next‑generation Atmospheric Sensing and LiDAR technologies. In this role, you will apply your expertise in electrical, mechanical, and optical systems to develop breakthrough atmospheric sensing solutions.
You will lead system design, development, and integration activities while shaping the technical strategy for new sensing technologies. You will plan and execute flight test campaigns to demonstrate system performance, collaborate directly with customers, and support new business pursuits alongside sales, program, and engineering partners.
ResponsibilitiesKey Responsibilities
- Lead end‑to‑end development of optics‑ and laser‑based atmospheric sensing systems while addressing complex mechanical, thermal, vibration, and integration elements.
- Advance emerging sensor technologies from low‑TRL concepts to field‑ready products.
- Establish and enforce rigorous design standards, documentation practices, and engineering processes.
- Prepare and deliver clear technical briefings, design reviews, and progress updates to senior leadership.
- Drive technical risk identification, mitigation, and continuous improvement across the program
US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT
Must be a US Citizen due to contractual requirements.
YOU MUST HAVE
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering with at least 10 years of experience (preferably in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, or Engineering Physics) in a related field.
- Experience integrating and troubleshooting complex systems that span optical, mechanical, electrical, and software components
- Experience in new product development with familiarity across the full lifecycle: design, prototyping, testing, and productization
- Prior technical leadership experience, including task delegation, program reporting, and mentoring of early‑ and mid‑career engineers
- Experience interfacing with customers as the primary technical point of contact
- Strong documentation skills, including requirements definition, MVP documentation, and development of test procedures
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams, stakeholders, and external partners.
- Must be a US Citizen due to contractual requirements
WE VALUE
- Masters or PhD in Engineering
- Deep experience with optical system design, alignment, and tolerance analysis, including lasers, beam shaping, receivers, and optical assemblies.
- Experience with aircraft design assurance and certification processes.
- Knowledge of networking systems and infrastructure, e.g. SATCOM or similar air to ground systems
- Experience working as a systems engineer in a relevant field, such as LiDAR systems, optics design, remote sensing, or atmospheric measurements.
- Strong knowledge of laser beam propagation, signal processing, and data analysis.
- Familiarity with atmospheric measurement techniques and instruments, such as aerosol scattering, Doppler wind LiDAR, or gas concentration measurement.
- Knowledge of LiDAR data processing techniques and software tools for data analysis, visualization, and interpretation.
- Hands‑on experience with environmental qualification (thermal, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC) and designing hardware that survives harsh aerospace environments.
- Experience with supplier and manufacturing engagement, including evaluating optical/laser component vendors, defining specifications, and managing build quality.
- Experience with design‑for‑manufacturability and design‑for‑test, particularly for precision optical or sensing systems.
- Experience in proposal development or technical trade-space analysis, supporting business development or executive decision‑making.
PAY AND BENEFITS
The annual base salary range for this position is <$154,000- $200,000>. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Honeywell Aerospace considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.
This position is incentive plan eligible.
In addition to a competitive salary, leading-edge work, and developing solutions side-by-side with dedicated experts in their fields, Honeywell Aerospace employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. This package includes employer-subsidized Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Short-Term and Long-Term Disability; 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, EAP, and Educational Assistance; Parental Leave, Paid Time Off (for vacation, personal business, sick time, and parental leave), and 12 Paid Holidays. For more information visit: click here
The application period for the job is estimated to be 40 days from the job posting date; however, this may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
About us:
Join a company that's reintroducing itself to the aviation community we've helped advance for more than a century. At Honeywell Aerospace (NASDAQ: HONA), we're launching as an independent, publicly traded aerospace and defense company built on a legacy of operational excellence and mission-focused execution.
Our new brand identity pairs that heritage with real momentum, as we build technology that helps pilots navigate with confidence, aircraft operate more efficiently, and operators stay ahead of change. With our systems on board 90% of the world's aircraft, your work here has reach that's rare to find anywhere else.
Focusing on our customers, investing in innovation, and building a culture of accountability and performance is how we're shaping what comes next.
Every horizon. Every mission. Every day.
Benefits:
Beyond a performance-driven salary, you'll work alongside dedicated experts on technology that's advancing aviation. As a Honeywell Aerospace employee, you're eligible for a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Employer-subsidized medical, dental, vision and life insurance
- Short-term and long-term disability coverage
- 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts
- Employee assistance program and educational assistance
- Parental leave and 12 paid holidays
- Paid time off for vacation, personal and sick time
Explore your benefits: https://honeywellaerospacebenefits.com/
POSTING TIMELINE
The application period for the job is estimated to be 40 days from the job posting date; however, this may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
Skills Required
- U.S. Citizen (due to contractual requirements)
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering with at least 10 years of experience
- Experience integrating and troubleshooting complex systems spanning optical, mechanical, electrical, and software components
- Experience in new product development across full lifecycle: design, prototyping, testing, and productization
- Prior technical leadership experience, including task delegation, program reporting, and mentoring engineers
- Experience interfacing with customers as the primary technical point of contact
- Strong documentation skills, including requirements definition, MVP documentation, and development of test procedures
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills for multidisciplinary teams and external partners
- Masters or PhD in Engineering
- Deep experience with optical system design, alignment, and tolerance analysis, including lasers and optical assemblies
- Experience with aircraft design assurance and certification processes
- Knowledge of networking systems and infrastructure (e.g., SATCOM or similar air-to-ground systems)
- Experience as systems engineer in LiDAR, optics design, remote sensing, or atmospheric measurements
- Strong knowledge of laser beam propagation, signal processing, and data analysis
- Familiarity with atmospheric measurement techniques and instruments (aerosol scattering, Doppler wind LiDAR, gas measurement)
- Knowledge of LiDAR data processing techniques and software tools for analysis and visualization
- Hands-on experience with environmental qualification (thermal, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC) for aerospace hardware
- Experience with supplier and manufacturing engagement for optical/laser components and managing build quality
- Experience with design-for-manufacturability and design-for-test for precision optical or sensing systems
- Experience in proposal development or technical trade-space analysis supporting business development
The Aerospace Corporation Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The Aerospace Corporation and has not been reviewed or approved by The Aerospace Corporation.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) plan provides a company‑paid contribution of 8–12% based on years of service with immediate eligibility and vesting, and eligible employees can access retiree medical benefits.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off includes 15 vacation days (rising to 20 after five years), nine paid holidays, and unlimited sick time for exempt employees with accruals for non‑exempt staff.
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Flexible Benefits — Flexible work models include a 9/80 schedule with alternating Fridays off, supported by backup care services, an EAP, relocation assistance, and home‑office stipends where applicable.
The Aerospace Corporation Insights
What We Do
The space enterprise has been transformed by rapid change and growth. New vehicles for national security space, a more rapid launch cadence, proliferated satellite constellations, the pursuit of interplanetary exploration, and thriving commercial ventures are changing the nature of the space industry. The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) is a leading architect for U.S. space programs, shaping efforts to outpace threats to our national security while cultivating the technologies needed to further this new era of space commercialization and exploration. Aerospace works across the space enterprise in service of the public interest. In addition to supporting the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, our customers include NASA, NOAA, numerous federal agencies, and commercial space — all of whom benefit from our deep technical knowledge. We only pursue business related to the space mission and complementary fields, operating as the nation’s trusted partner to solve the toughest challenges and develop reliable and innovative technologies. Innovation in space occurs when people have the freedom to imagine and do. At Aerospace, we take pride in our readiness to solve some of the most complex challenges in the space enterprise.
Why Work With Us
We are a non-profit corporation chartered by the government to work on the hardest problems in space. We employ technical experts in every discipline of space-related science and engineering who touch every part of the US space program. Come join us as we make an impact bigger than ourselves.
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