Rachel’s Story: Internal Growth at Textron Systems

At Textron Systems, we’re focused on development, mentorship and advancement pathways to help create a culture where our employees continue to thrive from within. This approach has proven successful for communications manager Rachel, who’s held six different positions in the nearly six years she’s been with the company.

Rachel first started with us in 2020 when she joined the Leadership Development Program (LDP). “The LDP program was a fantastic way to get my foot in the door and learn not only about Textron Systems but also have exposure to the other Textron business units along the way. There was so much built-in networking which enabled longstanding professional connections,” she says.

Soon after, she joined the Textron Systems team full-time as associate leadership communications strategist, later moving into the leadership communications strategist role, where she worked directly with our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) on their internal communications efforts.

In 2023, Rachel had the opportunity to transition to senior public relations strategist moving away from internal communications entirely and into the external communications space where she more closely worked with our program teams.

As Textron Systems’ external communications needs grew, so did Rachel. In 2025, she became manager of external communications, overseeing a small group who handles our company’s press releases, media relations and more. “The work my team and I do on the external communications side gives Textron Systems visibility among customers and industry to highlight our incredible technologies, innovations and teammates which support the warfighter,” says Rachel.

With her experience in both internal and external communications, today, Rachel serves as communications manager, overseeing both teams. “All of those foundational roles prepared me for my now current role of overseeing internal and external communications; they enabled me to become a subject matter expert in employee, leader and external communications which I can now elevate through guiding strategy and execution with my team.”

For others looking to explore new avenues, she says be ready for opportunities when you least expect them. “You never know what possibilities are going to come your way, and you never know what doors they’ll open,” Rachel says.

Outside of her on-the-job experiences, she’s also grateful for Textron Systems’ education assistance program which allowed her to graduate with her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2025.

“I feel very lucky to have had so many wonderful people in my corner throughout my career here, encouraging me to take the chance and trusting me along the way; I’m so much better for it not only as a professional but as a person.”

To learn more about current opportunities at Textron Systems, visit our careers page and see how you can help us keep Pushing Past Possible™.