Aerospace & Defense Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Iowa
Iowa's aerospace and defense sector centers around Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids, Rockwell Collins legacy facilities, and John Deere's defense technology divisions. Major employers like BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and Textron sponsor H-1B visa and other work visas for engineering roles in avionics, defense systems, and agricultural technology applications.
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Who will you be working with?
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the PTC Systems Engineering team is the backbone of Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence Train Performance & Automation group for design of Positive Train Control on-board solutions – preventing train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speeds, unauthorized train movements, and the movement of trains through switches left in the wrong position.
How will you make a difference?
As a Systems Engineer within PTC Systems Engineering, you will support providing system level technical guidance to the PTC engineering team during all phases of Onboard PTC Application product development (requirements definition, safety assessment, software development, test, validation, and commissioning) to ensure that new systems and products meet customer needs and applicable standards compliance.
What will your typical day look like?
- Specification of detailed system requirements, behavioral models, and interface definitions
- Participation in requirement and design reviews with customers and development teams
- Verification of pass/fail criteria for critical functions and tests specified by the validation team
- Support of interworking between the PTC and other products
- Drive technical issues to resolution
- Support hands-on troubleshooting and validation in a lab environment or in the field
- Occasional travel to locomotive builders and customer locations to provide system expertise and support of new or existing products.
Qualifications
What do we want to know about you?
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Electrical, Electronic), Computer Science, or related discipline
- Minimum of 5 years’ Development or Systems Engineering experience with a focus on application software development, hardware, and/or test
- Experience with configuration management, requirements management, and defect tracking tools such as IBM ELM, DOORS Next, IBM Rational Team Concert, IBM Rational Requisite Pro, Telelogic Change, SharePoint, SVN, or similar products
- Experience with MBSE, UML or SysML is a plus
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to articulate clearly and concisely
- High degree of attention to detail; approaches tasks in a meticulous and thorough manner
- Self-motivated, quick learner, results-oriented, with a clear focus on quality
- Knowledge and experience with INCOSE or similar system engineering standards a plus
- Knowledge and experience with CENELEC a plus
- Strong debug and troubleshooting skills; ability and willingness to work hands-on
- Railroad industry experience a plus, but not required
Relocation assistance may be provided if eligibility requirements are met. Wabtec will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable) and fitness for duty test (as applicable).
Additional Information
Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $79,100-112,800. The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.
What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?
At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other. If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.
Who are we?
Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike. Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better.
Culture powers us and the possibilities.
We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more. Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.
Job Description
Who will you be working with?
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the PTC Systems Engineering team is the backbone of Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence Train Performance & Automation group for design of Positive Train Control on-board solutions – preventing train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speeds, unauthorized train movements, and the movement of trains through switches left in the wrong position.
How will you make a difference?
As a Systems Engineer within PTC Systems Engineering, you will support providing system level technical guidance to the PTC engineering team during all phases of Onboard PTC Application product development (requirements definition, safety assessment, software development, test, validation, and commissioning) to ensure that new systems and products meet customer needs and applicable standards compliance.
What will your typical day look like?
- Specification of detailed system requirements, behavioral models, and interface definitions
- Participation in requirement and design reviews with customers and development teams
- Verification of pass/fail criteria for critical functions and tests specified by the validation team
- Support of interworking between the PTC and other products
- Drive technical issues to resolution
- Support hands-on troubleshooting and validation in a lab environment or in the field
- Occasional travel to locomotive builders and customer locations to provide system expertise and support of new or existing products.
Qualifications
What do we want to know about you?
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Electrical, Electronic), Computer Science, or related discipline
- Minimum of 5 years’ Development or Systems Engineering experience with a focus on application software development, hardware, and/or test
- Experience with configuration management, requirements management, and defect tracking tools such as IBM ELM, DOORS Next, IBM Rational Team Concert, IBM Rational Requisite Pro, Telelogic Change, SharePoint, SVN, or similar products
- Experience with MBSE, UML or SysML is a plus
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to articulate clearly and concisely
- High degree of attention to detail; approaches tasks in a meticulous and thorough manner
- Self-motivated, quick learner, results-oriented, with a clear focus on quality
- Knowledge and experience with INCOSE or similar system engineering standards a plus
- Knowledge and experience with CENELEC a plus
- Strong debug and troubleshooting skills; ability and willingness to work hands-on
- Railroad industry experience a plus, but not required
Relocation assistance may be provided if eligibility requirements are met. Wabtec will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable) and fitness for duty test (as applicable).
Additional Information
Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $79,100-112,800. The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.
What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?
At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other. If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.
Who are we?
Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike. Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better.
Culture powers us and the possibilities.
We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more. Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.
Aerospace & Defense Job Roles in Iowa
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Search Aerospace & Defense Jobs in IowaAerospace & Defense Jobs in Iowa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which aerospace & defense companies sponsor visas in Iowa?
Collins Aerospace (now part of Raytheon Technologies) in Cedar Rapids is the largest visa sponsor, hiring thousands of engineers for avionics and flight systems. BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and Textron also sponsor H-1B visas for software engineers, systems engineers, and project managers. John Deere sponsors visas for defense technology roles related to precision agriculture and autonomous systems development.
How to find aerospace & defense visa sponsorship jobs in Iowa?
Use Migrate Mate to search specifically for Iowa aerospace and defense positions that sponsor work visas. Filter by companies like Collins Aerospace, BAE Systems, and General Dynamics in the Cedar Rapids and Des Moines metro areas. These employers regularly post engineering, software development, and technical program management roles with visa sponsorship available for qualified international candidates.
Which cities in Iowa have the most aerospace & defense sponsorship jobs?
Cedar Rapids leads with Collins Aerospace headquarters and multiple defense contractors. Des Moines metro area follows with Rockwell Collins facilities and John Deere's defense technology operations. Dubuque hosts some smaller defense suppliers, while Iowa City benefits from University of Iowa research partnerships. Cedar Rapids consistently offers the highest concentration of visa-sponsored engineering positions.
What visa types do Iowa aerospace & defense employers typically sponsor?
H-1B visas dominate for engineering roles in avionics, software development, and systems integration. O-1 visas are used for senior engineers with specialized expertise in defense systems or emerging technologies. TN visas serve Canadian and Mexican engineers, while E-3 visas are available for Australian nationals. L-1 transfers are common when international aerospace companies establish Iowa operations.
Are there prevailing wage considerations for aerospace jobs in Iowa?
Iowa's lower cost of living results in prevailing wages that may be 15-25% below coastal aerospace hubs, but this rarely affects visa approval since wages still exceed federal requirements. Cedar Rapids and Des Moines have established prevailing wage data for aerospace engineering roles. University of Iowa and Iowa State partnerships provide research pathways that can strengthen visa applications.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored aerospace & defense jobs in Iowa?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.
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