Principal Jobs in Cambridge, MA
Principal jobs in Cambridge are concentrated in higher education, life sciences, and K-12 education, with demand anchored in Kendall Square, Harvard Square, and the Alewife corridor. Employers hiring right now include Draper, RTX, and Raven. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 207+ Principal jobs
Date Posted:
2026-05-14Country:
United States of AmericaLocation:
US-MA-CAMBRIDGE-BBN01 ~ 10 & 50 Moulton St ~ MOULTON B2Position Role Type:
OnsiteU.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:
The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearanceSecurity Clearance Type:
DoD Clearance: SecretSecurity Clearance Status:
Active and existing security clearance required after day 1RTX Corporation is an Aerospace and Defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. It comprises three industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 185,000 employees enable the company to operate at the edge of known science as they imagine and deliver solutions that push the boundaries in quantum physics, electric propulsion, directed energy, hypersonics, avionics and cybersecurity. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, VA.
At RTX BBN Technologies, we invent new science by applying radical cross-disciplinary techniques to prototype systems in order to prove concept viability. This is especially evident in our Physical Systems and Sciences group, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where scientists and engineers anticipate the future in both very large and very small-scale scientific systems that often need to survive challenging operational environments.
What You Will Do:
We are seeking qualified candidates who have good knowledge in digital systems, HDL, signal processing, and hands-on experience with development of real-time embedded systems. Your knowledge of high-speed interfaces and experience developing in multiple programming domains, including RTL, VHDL, Verilog, and scripting languages will be leveraged to create custom R&D hardware. You will join a project team designing, analyzing, and prototyping innovative multi-domain system architectures, solving challenging real-world problems like:
Developing real-time control system architectures to affect the performance of physical systems
Developing sophisticated detection, classification, localization, and tracking (DCLT) algorithms against state-of-the-art threats in high-noise environments
Support development and testing of experimental testbeds for real-time sensor processing systems, quantum information systems, integrated photonic systems, and other physical sciences pursuits
Supporting implementation and evaluation of real time systems in realistic mission scenarios and conducting operational analysis
Qualifications You Must Have:
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
Professional experience in FPGA development processes: RTL design, verification, timing analysis, board bring up, and validation
Understanding of Digital Signal Processing fundamentals and their implementation on FPGAs
Professional experience in high-speed interfaces, including experience in Ethernet, serial point to point communication (sFPDP, SPI), and high-speed memory interfaces (HBM2, DDR)
Scripting development experience (bash, Tcl, etc.)
The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required
Qualifications We Prefer:
Experience with SoC boards running bare metal code as well as configuring and deploying embedded Linux (e.g. Petalinux)
Experience with RFSoC boards and/or high-speed analog signal generation and digitization
Familiarity with building Linux drivers for FPGA peripherals
Experience with high level synthesis tools, including BlueSpec System Verilog
Software development experience in C/C++, and Python
What We Offer:
Whether you’re just starting out on your career journey or are an experienced professional, we offer a robust total rewards package with compensation; healthcare, wellness, retirement, and work/life benefits; career development and recognition programs. Some of the benefits we offer include parental (including paternal) leave, flexible work schedules, achievement awards, educational assistance and child/adult backup care.
- Relocation Assistance available
- This position is Onsite at our Cambridge, Mass headquarters
To help you achieve your goals, BBN will provide:
A strong leadership team well-versed in government R&D.
A collaborative and collegial environment to push state-of-the-art research.
Technically competent pool of research scientists who are willing to mentor, listen, and help you refine your research vision and goals.
Business development, programmatic, contracting, finance, and HR support.
Access, through RTX, to opportunities that help transition your research and ultimately see it fielded.
As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.
The salary range for this role is 107,500 USD - 204,500 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills. Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, 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, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance. This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply. RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.
Privacy Policy and Terms:
Date Posted:
2026-05-14Country:
United States of AmericaLocation:
US-MA-CAMBRIDGE-BBN01 ~ 10 & 50 Moulton St ~ MOULTON B2Position Role Type:
OnsiteU.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:
The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearanceSecurity Clearance Type:
DoD Clearance: SecretSecurity Clearance Status:
Active and existing security clearance required after day 1RTX Corporation is an Aerospace and Defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. It comprises three industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 185,000 employees enable the company to operate at the edge of known science as they imagine and deliver solutions that push the boundaries in quantum physics, electric propulsion, directed energy, hypersonics, avionics and cybersecurity. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, VA.
At RTX BBN Technologies, we invent new science by applying radical cross-disciplinary techniques to prototype systems in order to prove concept viability. This is especially evident in our Physical Systems and Sciences group, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where scientists and engineers anticipate the future in both very large and very small-scale scientific systems that often need to survive challenging operational environments.
What You Will Do:
We are seeking qualified candidates who have good knowledge in digital systems, HDL, signal processing, and hands-on experience with development of real-time embedded systems. Your knowledge of high-speed interfaces and experience developing in multiple programming domains, including RTL, VHDL, Verilog, and scripting languages will be leveraged to create custom R&D hardware. You will join a project team designing, analyzing, and prototyping innovative multi-domain system architectures, solving challenging real-world problems like:
Developing real-time control system architectures to affect the performance of physical systems
Developing sophisticated detection, classification, localization, and tracking (DCLT) algorithms against state-of-the-art threats in high-noise environments
Support development and testing of experimental testbeds for real-time sensor processing systems, quantum information systems, integrated photonic systems, and other physical sciences pursuits
Supporting implementation and evaluation of real time systems in realistic mission scenarios and conducting operational analysis
Qualifications You Must Have:
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
Professional experience in FPGA development processes: RTL design, verification, timing analysis, board bring up, and validation
Understanding of Digital Signal Processing fundamentals and their implementation on FPGAs
Professional experience in high-speed interfaces, including experience in Ethernet, serial point to point communication (sFPDP, SPI), and high-speed memory interfaces (HBM2, DDR)
Scripting development experience (bash, Tcl, etc.)
The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required
Qualifications We Prefer:
Experience with SoC boards running bare metal code as well as configuring and deploying embedded Linux (e.g. Petalinux)
Experience with RFSoC boards and/or high-speed analog signal generation and digitization
Familiarity with building Linux drivers for FPGA peripherals
Experience with high level synthesis tools, including BlueSpec System Verilog
Software development experience in C/C++, and Python
What We Offer:
Whether you’re just starting out on your career journey or are an experienced professional, we offer a robust total rewards package with compensation; healthcare, wellness, retirement, and work/life benefits; career development and recognition programs. Some of the benefits we offer include parental (including paternal) leave, flexible work schedules, achievement awards, educational assistance and child/adult backup care.
- Relocation Assistance available
- This position is Onsite at our Cambridge, Mass headquarters
To help you achieve your goals, BBN will provide:
A strong leadership team well-versed in government R&D.
A collaborative and collegial environment to push state-of-the-art research.
Technically competent pool of research scientists who are willing to mentor, listen, and help you refine your research vision and goals.
Business development, programmatic, contracting, finance, and HR support.
Access, through RTX, to opportunities that help transition your research and ultimately see it fielded.
As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.
The salary range for this role is 107,500 USD - 204,500 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills. Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, 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, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance. This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply. RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.
Privacy Policy and Terms:
See All 207+ Principal Jobs in Cambridge
Find roles in Cambridge that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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Who's Hiring
- Draper96
- RTX16
- Raven16R
- Biogen16
- Raytheon16
Principal Jobs in Cambridge: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a principal job in Cambridge?
Focus your search on Cambridge's dominant hiring sectors: universities and research institutions near Harvard Square, biotech and life sciences firms in Kendall Square, and the Cambridge Public Schools district for K-12 roles. Candidates who stand out typically combine domain expertise with demonstrated leadership at scale. Networking through MIT or Harvard alumni communities and attending local education or innovation events gives Cambridge applicants a meaningful edge over remote applicants.
Which companies hire principals in Cambridge?
Cambridge principal roles are posted by Draper, RTX, and Raven and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Cambridge's employer mix is unusually varied, ranging from world-class research universities and teaching hospitals to venture-backed biotech startups and established technology firms in Kendall Square.
Are there remote principal jobs in Cambridge?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the type of role. Principal positions tied to school leadership or lab management are almost always on-site, while principal engineers, principal researchers, and strategy-focused principals often have more flexibility. About 67% of principal openings tied to Cambridge are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with the highest remote share concentrated in technology and research-focused roles rather than education administration.
How can I get a principal job in Cambridge with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Cambridge is through associate or senior individual contributor roles at Kendall Square tech and biotech firms, where internal promotion to principal-level is common and structured. Cambridge Public Schools and charter networks like Prospect Hill Academy also offer assistant principal pipelines for aspiring K-12 leaders. Building visibility through MIT or Harvard continuing education programs, or contributing to open research projects connected to local institutions, strengthens a candidate profile in this market.
Related Jobs in Massachusetts
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