What it does: Collins Aerospace is an aerospace and defence manufacturer,
Mission: We are redefining aerospace.
Best known for: Being a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies.
Size & presence: 68,000 employees working across 300 sites worldwide.
The good bits: As a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, Collins Aerospace is one of the leading aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world—making it the perfect place to start a career for those interested in pursuing a profession in this sector.
The not-so-good bits: Some past and current employees have complained about how the company can be rather bureaucratic in its operations; and this might be partly due to the structure of the company itself, being part of the larger Raytheon Technologies ecosystem.
Collins Aerospace was established following the merger of Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems in 2018 by the latter’s parent company, United Technologies. Thus, when United Technologies merged with Raytheon in 2020, Collins Aerospace became a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies.
Collins Aerospace mainly focuses on developing products in the following sectors: Aerostructures, Avionics, Interiors, Mechanical Systems, Missions Systems, and Power & Controls. Their products are mostly sold to other businesses for commercial purposes, although just like its parent company, Collins Aerospace also works on military contracts.
As one can guess from their mission statement, and from the nature of the business they are running, Collins Aerospace tends to put innovation at the forefront. Because of this, most of their employees are engineers—more than 24%, to be exact.
It also believes in empowering people who have historically been underrepresented in STEM careers and engages in several initiatives to attract these students, such as by partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards, and Paradigm for Parity.
In their own words, Collins Aerospace has this to say about its culture: “We are committed to fostering a culture where you can bring your authentic self and help us tackle some of the most complex challenges in the world. We believe diverse perspectives and ideas enable us to deliver the best results and even better career experiences.”
Just like its parent company, Raytheon Technologies, Collins Aerospace also has multiple job opportunities for both university students and recent university or college graduates.
Internship roles are open year-round in nearly all departments, based on the needs of the company or according to any existing internship program agreements with educational institutions across the U.S. As for recent university graduates, Collins Aerospace offers the chance for you to join their team by applying for entry-level positions.
Collins Aerospace’s recruiting process is handled primarily by its parent company, Raytheon Technologies; thus, if you’re interested in working in Collins Aerospace, be sure to apply for roles specific to said company, since Raytheon Technologies also manages the hiring process for its other subsidiaries, who might be operating similar businesses to its parent company.
Aside from that, however, the recruitment process at Collins Aerospace is roughly the same as with most companies in the U.S. First, you’ll need to submit an application through their career page. Then, you’ll be invited for an interview done online if the hiring team believes that you would be a good fit for the position. Next, you might be invited for an on-site interview, and it’s possible that there will be multiple interviewers during this time.
Internships at Collins Aerospace are paid, and you can expect to make between $40,000 to $70,000 per year depending on the role you are hired for and your educational background. As for entry-level employees—base pay generally differs based on the role you are hired for. For example, a Software Engineer can expect to make between $60,000 to $90,000, while a Quality Assurance Engineer’s pay range is around $40,000 to $75,000.
Besides the base pay, Collins Aerospace also has a wide array of employee benefits, made available even for new hires. Some of these benefits are health insurance, life insurance, remote-working options, and paid time off.
Although Collins Aerospace also does its part in engaging with charitable initiatives through its parent company, Raytheon Technologies, the company also has its own independent philanthropic activities executed on a yearly basis. Each region also has its own set of action plans, derived from Collins Aerospace’s main areas of concern: STEM education for youth, environmental sustainability action through local and community-driven projects, and workforce skill development.