Test Engineering Manager - Ejection Seats (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-10-14

 Country:

United States of America

 Location:

US-CO-COLORADO SPRINGS-793 ~ 1225 Aeroplaza Dr ~ AEROPLAZA

 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

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced, intelligent solutions that help redefine the aerospace and defense industry. With a comprehensive portfolio and deep technical expertise, we help customers meet the demands of the global market. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Our Colorado Springs Division is recognized as the leader in designing, developing, and manufacturing aerospace ejection seating products. Our state-of-the-art ACES 5 Ejection Seat is recognized as the benchmark in aircrew ejection safety. Thousands of Collins ejection seats are in service today on F-15, F-16, A-10, B-1, B-2, AV-8, WB-57, and other aircraft across the world in more than 25 countries.

ACES ejection seats have saved the lives of more than 700 aircrew over the last few decades.

Collins Aerospace is seeking a highly motivated and experienced M4 Test Manager to lead and manage the Ejection Seats Test Engineering Team under the guidance of the SEIT Leader. The M4 Test Manager will play a critical role in program execution, test planning, resource management, and team leadership.

This role requires a dynamic individual who can balance individual contributor tasks with leadership responsibilities, ensuring alignment with SEIT objectives and program milestones.

The M4 Test Manager will spend approximately 50% of their time on individual contributor tasks and 50% on management responsibilities. This position offers an opportunity to grow alongside SEIT leadership and contribute to the success of RTX's mission-critical programs.

Sign-on Bonus Eligible

What You Will Do

• Program Work/Task Planning: Lead program test work/task planning for sprints and increments in collaboration with SEIT Leader, ensuring alignment with SEIT and program deliverables.
• Demand & Staffing Forecasting: Assist SEIT Leader with staffing projections by analyzing data and providing recommendations to optimize test team resources.
• Hiring: Own the hiring process for test engineering roles, including posting, interviewing, and decision-making, with support from SEIT Leader.
• Test Assignment and Scheduling: Oversee test assignments and scheduling to meet program needs, ensuring alignment with SEIT and program milestones.
• Bid and Proposal (B&P) Support: Manage the test engineering portion of B&P efforts, by completing the test bid portions or reviewing all test team bids and escalating for approval to SEIT Leader.
• Program, Milestone, and Customer Support: Provide recommendations to ensure alignment of test schedules, resources, durations, and deliverables with program plans. Collaborate closely with Program Management Team (PMT) and SEIT Leader on milestone and program planning, ensuring test expertise is leveraged effectively.
• CAM Reviews: Take ownership of test team execution performance in collaboration with Project Engineer’s (PE) to address and justify variances during cost account management (CAM) reviews.
• Leadership and Personnel Management: Conduct regular one-on-one career development discussions with team members, providing mentorship and guidance. Manage personnel issues, performance reviews, and team goal planning, escalating to SEIT M5 as needed. Conduct performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to support team growth and development. Partner with SEIT Leader to align team goals with broader SEIT objectives.
• Test Discipline Collaboration: Partner with SEIT Leader and Discipline Chief Engineers (DCE) to define test processes, support roadmaps, and drive process improvements. Collaborate with SEIT Leader to define personnel development opportunities and training initiatives.
• Sled Test Execution Support: Coordinate with SEIT Leader and test site leadership on test execution and resource allocation to achieve program objectives.
• This role is designed to foster collaboration and partnership between the Test M4 Manager and the SEIT Leader; ensuring the success of the test engineering team while supporting the professional growth of the Test M4 Manager.

Qualifications

You Must Have

• Extensive experience in test engineering, test program execution, and leadership in a similar industry (aerospace or defense preferred).
• Experience in SEIT practices and test execution methodologies.
• Experience in industry standards, compliance, and best practices.
• Experience with managing multiple priorities, including program execution, resource management to foster collaboration and align teams with organizational goals.
• Experience with reviewing technical bids and proposals, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 8 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 5 years of experience
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Qualifications

We Prefer

• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills to mentor and guide team members.
• Strong analytical skills to support technical analysis and contribute to the strategic test vision.

What We Offer

• 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
• May be eligible for Relocation
• And more!

Learn More & Apply Now!

Mission Systems

Do you want to be a part of something bigger? A team whose impact stretches across the world, and even beyond? At Collins Aerospace, our Mission Systems team helps civilian, military and government customers complete their most complex missions — whatever and wherever they may be.

Our customers depend on us for intelligent and secure communications, missionized systems for specialized aircraft and spacecraft and collaborative space solutions. By joining our team, you’ll have your own critical part to play in ensuring our customer succeeds today while anticipating their needs for tomorrow. Are you up for the challenge?

Join our mission today.

• Please consider the following role type definitions 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.

At Collins, the paths we pave together lead to limitless possibility. And the bonds we form – with our customers and with each other – propel us all higher, again and again.

Apply now and be part of the team that’s redefining aerospace, every day.

#MISENG

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