Collins Aerospace (RTX)
Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, makes aerospace and defense systems, including avionics, communication, navigation and surveillance equipment, flight and power systems, cabin interiors and equipment for human space flight, for commercial, military and space customers.
In Huntsville, AL
Collins Aerospace's Huntsville work centres on U.S. Army aviation. In October 2021 it opened an Army Customer Experience Center near Redstone Arsenal, a demonstration and test space supporting Army aviation programs including Future Vertical Lift, and moved an engineering organization of more than 70 jobs to Huntsville from Richardson, Texas. In August 2026 the Army awarded Collins a contract worth up to $472 million for engineering services to modernize and sustain the CH-47 Chinook fleet, with work in Huntsville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
About Collins Aerospace (RTX) in Huntsville, AL
Collins Aerospace, an RTX business headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, makes avionics, communication, navigation, flight and power systems and other equipment for commercial, military and space customers. In Huntsville its focus is Army aviation. In October 2021 Collins opened an Army Customer Experience Center near Redstone Arsenal. The company described it as a place for technology demonstrations and collaboration on Army aviation programs, including Future Vertical Lift and the Army's "Fly Before You Buy" approach, with a mock military rotorcraft fitted with Collins products and open-architecture offerings such as its MOSARC avionics architecture. At the time it moved an engineering organization of more than 70 jobs to Huntsville from Richardson, Texas. In August 2026 the Army awarded Collins a contract worth up to $472 million for engineering services supporting modernization and sustainment of the CH-47 Chinook fleet, including avionics upgrades and obsolescence work. Work is performed in Huntsville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Culture & Work Environment
RTX says its teams share six values: safety, trust, respect, accountability, collaboration and innovation, and it points to employee networks and community engagement as part of its culture. Its careers site lists flexible work arrangements and the Employee Scholar Program, which reimburses tuition, textbooks and some academic fees from an employee's first day. In Huntsville, the company describes its customer center as built around collaboration with the Army and with industry, so many local roles involve working closely with Army aviation customers. Work arrangements vary by role; check each listing for whether it is onsite, hybrid or remote, and ask in interviews how the Huntsville team works with Collins's other engineering sites, such as Cedar Rapids.
Hiring Process & Timeline
Apply through RTX's careers site, where Collins Aerospace roles are listed; Collins does not publish a hiring timeline. A typical process at a large defense contractor is an online application, a recruiter screen, and one or more interviews with the hiring manager and team, followed by an offer and pre-employment checks. For Huntsville roles on Army aviation work, put relevant experience up front: avionics integration, rotorcraft systems, systems engineering, software for flight systems, or sustainment and obsolescence management. Read the listing's citizenship or export-control line and any clearance requirement before you apply, since those can decide eligibility regardless of experience.
Interview Tips
Show that you understand the Army aviation work the Huntsville team supports. Read RTX's August 2026 announcement on the Chinook engineering contract, which describes avionics upgrades meant to integrate new capabilities more efficiently and address obsolescence, and the company's descriptions of open avionics architectures such as MOSARC. Be ready to discuss specific systems you have worked on, how you handled integration or obsolescence problems, and how you worked with government customers or flight-test teams. Collins's stated values include safety and collaboration, so concrete examples of raising a safety concern or working across teams are relevant. For software and systems roles, expect technical questions tied to the requirements in the listing.
Security Clearance Requirements
Whether a Collins role in Huntsville needs a clearance depends on the program. Roles on Army defense programs may ask for one, often Secret or higher, while others may not. Each listing states its clearance requirement if it has one. Many Collins listings also carry a U.S. citizen, U.S. person or immigration-status requirement tied to export controls, so check that line in the posting before applying. If a listing asks for a clearance you do not hold, ask the recruiter whether the program can sponsor one. For how clearance levels and processing work in general, see our clearances guide.
Compensation & Salary
Pay varies by role, level and location. For current figures, check the posted pay ranges in Collins Aerospace's Huntsville listings on this site, which reflect what the company is advertising now. On benefits, RTX's careers site says its U.S. 401(k) plan matches up to 3% of pay for eligible employees and that the Employee Scholar Program reimburses tuition, textbooks and selected academic fees from day one. It also lists medical coverage, paid time off, flexible work arrangements and programs for dependent and adult care and family leave. Check the benefits summary in a listing for details that apply to a specific role.
Open Positions
Get Matched With Defense Jobs
Tell us your skills and get personalized job matches.