The ideal candidate will have a strong background in battery system engineering, with expertise in battery cell selection, pack design, thermal management, fire mitigation, and system integration. You will lead cross-functional teams, drive innovation, and ensure the successful delivery of high-performance, reliable, and cost-effective battery solutions. 

Key Job Responsibilities 

Technical Leadership & Innovation 

• Lead R&D initiatives in aerospace battery systems, including lithium-based, solid-state, and emerging energy storage technologies. 

• Oversee and coordinate multi-disciplinary projects covering design, simulation, testing, and demonstration of battery systems (and their subsystems) for aviation applications, including the build out of testing facilities, and leveraging of partner facilities.  

• Develop strategies and drive innovation for enhancing battery energy density, power output, and safety while ensuring lightweight solutions and integration with the wider aircraft electrical systems 

• Establish and maintain a technology roadmap aligned with industry trends and regulatory / certification requirements (FAA, EASA, NASA, DoD, etc.) as well as standardisation efforts 

• Work closely with research, engineering and customer teams to track system integration requirements – understanding end-user requirements for aircraft systems (e.g. propulsion, hybrid-propulsion, etc. across various classes of aircraft e.g. CS-23, CS-25, emerging VTOL) 

• Provide major contribution to annual technical discipline planning cycle and to multi-year research and engineering strategy 

Regulatory Compliance & Safety 

• Engage with certification efforts for aerospace battery systems, including testing for appropriate extreme environments (temperature, pressure, vibration, radiation) . 

• Work with government agencies, regulatory bodies, and industry consortia to influence future battery standards for aerospace applications. 

Project & Team Management 

• Support and mentor a global team of researchers, engineers, and technicians in advanced R&D projects. 

• Manage cross-functional collaborations with universities, government labs, and industry partners. 

• Oversee budgeting, grant applications, and funding opportunities for battery innovation programs. 

Strategic Business & Industry Engagement 

• Identify emerging trends in aerospace electrification and shape company strategy accordingly. 

• Represent the company at industry conferences, technical forums, and standardization committees. 

• Support business development efforts by engaging with Aircraft Manufacturers, Industrial Partners, Funding Agencies (National, Regional, International), National Labs, Universities, and innovative Start-Ups.  

Qualifications & Competencies 

• Motivated self-starter with a strong enthusiasm to learn and passion for speed and agility. 

• Well-organized with excellent interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills, to work in international teams. 

• Willing to champion and challenge new technical ideas and adapt to new challenges beyond original field of expertise. 

• Able to partner with universities, government agencies, national labs, and professional organizations, to meet organizational objectives within time and budget constraints. 

• Preparation/Proposal, management, or execution of National / EU / US projects (Horizon, Clean Aviation, NASA, FAA, ATI, Lufo etc.), as desired optional background, and contribution to strategy for follow-on programs. 

• Excellent problem-solving and communications skills, as well as an interest in working in a highly collaborative environment with scientists, analysts, and technical experts across several technical disciplines. 

• Desire to learn new techniques and approaches on-the-job, by leveraging structured educational content, as well as expertise from team members. 

• Leveraging ongoing advances in AI and ML is an important thread running through all of the research groups within Collins. Relevant experience and track record of applying AI in one or more of technical areas described above is desirable. 

• Hands-on experience in adapting research done in academia and industry to real-world challenging data sources and problems sets. 

Education & Experience 

A degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or Aeronautical Engineering. A minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 10 years of related experience with and advanced degree (Masters or PhD in related field). The candidate must be prepared to immediately contribute at an Associate Director, Research level. 

WE ARE REDEFINING AEROSPACE. 

Some of our competitive benefits package includes:  

• Holiday entitlement is 4 working weeks -
• Employees are entitled to 4 working weeks’ paid Company holiday  (exclusive of public holidays) per full calendar year (1st January - 31st December) and 3 additional holidays to cover the Christmas period , the week after Christmas as the office is closed .
• Pension scheme
• Employee 0 - Collins 5
• Employee 1 - Collins 6
• Employee 2 - Collins 7
• Employee 3 - Collins 8
• Employee > 3  -  Collins 8 maximum
• Private Medical Insurance for yourself and your family
• Employee Assistance Program, further details of which are available from the Human Resources department.
• RTX Scholar Program - further education

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment.