Director Production Operations - 1

Relocation assistance may be available. Travel is required, up to 25% of the time.

About the Role

Northrop Grumman Space Sector has an immediate opening for a Director 1, Production Operations in the Western Region Manufacturing and Operations organization. This position reports directly to the Director, Production Engineering & Operations (PEO) and is based in Redondo Beach, CA. The leader will serve as the primary point of contact for all production operations needs across the Western Region, supporting multiple divisions and locations including Azusa, Commerce, Goleta, Oxnard, San Diego, Space Park (CA), and Gilbert, AZ.

This role partners with Manufacturing & Operations (M&O) and cross-functional leadership to drive end-to-end execution of planning, property, and logistics processes from contract award through customer delivery.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end execution of planning, property, and logistics processes from contract award through customer delivery.
• Plan and schedule movement of raw materials, packaging materials, parts, components, services, supplies, finished goods, and related material through production and inventory processes.
• Be accountable for meeting or exceeding safety, quality, delivery, employee, and cost expectations for planning, property, and logistics efforts across Western Region programs.
• Lead production operations teams to improve operational efficiency by implementing best practices, standards, and defining comprehensive materials, production planning, and logistics strategies.
• Identify and prioritize focus areas for process improvement, operational streamlining, and leadership initiatives to meet safety, quality, delivery, employee, and cost goals.
• Direct and coordinate warehouse kitting and distribution activities to plan, prepare, issue, and control material kits in conjunction with Material Requirements Planning (MRP) to meet production and delivery requirements.
• Manage shipping and receiving functions to control the flow of material and hardware from receipt into manufacturing through delivery to the customer.
• Drive implementation and alignment of ERP system elements, including SAP/CostPoint, SyncManufacturing, MRP, MES, and related execution processes and tools.
• Execute material requirements planning standards to demand requirements within ERP systems and maintain make-or-buy planning and release to sustain production schedules.
• Serve as the direct interface between customer, planning, and production control on all parts and manufacturing configuration management activities, ensuring part status and priorities meet schedule; responsible for adherence to As Designed vs. As Built Configuration processes and controls.
• Manage production planning and scheduling, set priorities for equipment and personnel, confirm material supply and demand, and prepare work orders or purchase requests based on master production schedules, shop load, and inventory requirements.
• Coordinate integration, planning, and logistics by leveraging internal and external resources and collaborating across quality assurance, manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, inventory control, and transportation, including Fleet Management.
• Provide leadership in manufacturing requirements planning, production planning, scheduling, inventory control, receiving, shipping, logistics, WIP management, and Material Management and Accounting System (MMAS) auditable processes.
• Manage all financial and budgetary aspects of the organization, including collecting, analyzing, and reporting key performance indicators (KPIs) such as first pass yield and queue times, and take action to mitigate risks and improve team performance.
• Ensure adequate staffing levels to meet business demands and lead employee development, performance management, and employee engagement activities to foster a high-performing workforce.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of relevant professional experience in manufacturing, engineering, scheduling, production control, planning, inventory, material control, operations, or program environment — OR — Master’s degree with 8+ years of relevant professional experience.
• 7+ years of people leadership experience managing a team across multiple disciplines and functions.
• Subject matter expert knowledge of ERP and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems.
• Proven accomplishments in operational cost reductions and process improvements.
• Working knowledge of Federal and Defense contracting requirements including ITAR and FAR/DFAR.
• Experience with execution and cost management of programs and developing proposals.
• Working knowledge of financial management including projects, process control, and budgets.
• Experience managing large teams with various focus areas.
• Must be a self-starter with excellent written and oral communication skills, highly collaborative, team-oriented, and possess strong people leadership skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to function independently, meet deadlines, and achieve commitments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top-Secret security clearance and SCI access.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience managing operations support or operations planning.
• Prior experience implementing MRP and/or business systems — Costpoint and SAP experience is a plus.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance is highly preferred.
• Master's degree in a STEM-related discipline or MBA, APICS, PMP, or similar certifications.
• Progressive leadership experience in manufacturing/production, operations, program management, or related areas.
• Background in manufacturing and engineering processes, technologies, and programs.
• Experience in proposals, business development, acquisitions, and associated customer interactions.
• Product transition from development to production methodology and implementation.
• Knowledge and experience in manufacturing and supply chain, with strong customer domain expertise.
• Experience supporting cross-sector initiatives and/or programs.
• Experience performing work that crosses typical organizational, site, or sector boundaries and consolidates or transfers manufacturing operations.
• Experience with continuous improvement and problem-solving tools and techniques, production schedules, and metrics in high-mix, low-volume, and high-rate manufacturing environments.

Benefits

Northrop Grumman offers a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help employees thrive at work and in life. For more information, visit the Total Rewards site.

Pay

Primary level salary range: $203,900.00 - $305,900.00. The salary range represents a general guideline; Northrop Grumman considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s experience, education, skills, and current market conditions when determining base salary offers. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions and allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.