Principal Software Engineer Lead - High Energy Laser (HEL) Beam Director Product Owner

Raytheon is seeking a Principal Software Engineer Lead to serve as the High Energy Laser (HEL) Beam Director product owner, providing senior technical leadership and disciplined product execution across multiple software baselines. This is an onsite role in McKinney, TX, with a required security clearance prior to start.

Role Overview

In this position, you will act as a senior technical guide for mission-critical software development focused on HEL beam director capabilities. You will connect product ownership with engineering rigor, helping ensure algorithms, integration work, and agile delivery stay aligned with evolving program objectives across baselines.

Responsibilities

• Delegate and review work from lower-level engineers while ensuring disciplined implementation of major system algorithms, including tracking, alignment, coordinate transformation, sensor line-of-sight, image alignment, and laser-enabled operations.
• Review code and validate algorithm behavior, communicate technical rationale clearly, and influence engineering practices and procedures to support steady program execution.
• Provide senior-level systems thinking and architectural support, including development of CONOPS, specification tree structures, and multi-CSCI decomposition to address complex customer-critical issues.
• Collaborate effectively with senior architects and technical fellows, integrate across disciplines, and maintain technical momentum with minimal oversight.
• Apply system-of-systems architecture expertise, including inter-CSCI and LRU interfaces, requirement flows, and hardware/software integration to drive clarity across sensor and processing capabilities.
• Lead agile execution of software technical scope across all program baselines, including coordinated planning, prioritized backlog execution, and alignment with product-line objectives.
• Partner with senior systems engineers and cross-functional technical leads to support integration, verification, and delivery across Archerfish, Apache, and MQ-9 simultaneous efforts.
• Work onsite in McKinney, TX. Applicants must be in the area or willing to relocate to McKinney, TX.

Required Qualifications

• Typically requires a STEM degree and 8 years of prior relevant engineering experience.
• Minimum 5-8 years of experience developing or supporting real-time embedded software for mission-critical systems.
• Experience implementing and validating real-time algorithms and supporting SW/HW integration on embedded platforms.
• Experience communicating and collaborating with teams, translating technical considerations into clear and actionable guidance, and working in rapid-execution and multi-baseline programs.
• Active and transferable Secret U.S. government-issued security clearance required prior to start date, with ability to obtain Special Program Access after start.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active and transferable Top Secret clearance with Special Program Access.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to guide technical development, mentor engineers, and lead software teams through complex lifecycle activities.
• Proven effectiveness in rapid-execution, multi-baseline programs.
• Experience with EO/IR or sensor-based targeting systems.
• Familiarity with agile processes including Scrum, Continuous Integration, and automated testing methods.
• Familiarity with Artificial Intelligence aided development.
• Experience coordinating across multiple product lines or quick-reaction capability programs.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including mentoring, coordinating small technical initiatives, facilitating team collaboration, driving engineering best practices, and/or guiding peers toward delivery.

Technologies

• Real-time embedded software
• EO/IR algorithms
• Real-time algorithms
• SW/HW integration
• Agile processes
• Scrum
• Continuous Integration
• Automated testing methods

Compensation

USD 107,500 - 204,500 per year.

Benefits

• Relocation offered based on eligibility
• 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
• Holidays
• Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs (not guaranteed)

Values and What to Expect

The company notes that its values guide behavior and performance, including Safety, Trust, Respect, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovation. Relocation may be offered based on eligibility.

Clearance Information

This position requires a security clearance. DCSA Consolidated Adjudication Services (DCSA CAS), an agency of the Department of Defense, handles and adjudicates the security clearance process.

Location

This role is onsite at the company campus in McKinney, TX.

How the Onsite Process Works

• Employees in onsite roles will work primarily onsite.
• Candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in person at one of the company office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid, or remote.