Manager Programs 3

This position is based in Woodland Hills, CA and requires full-time on-site support. Relocation assistance is not available. An active U.S. Government Secret security clearance is required to start. Travel is expected up to 25% of the time.

About the role

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage, and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, and bringing your whole self to work.

Northrop Grumman, Mission Systems (NGMS) is seeking a Program Manager 3 to support the Sentinel Navigation Inertial Measurement System (NIMS) Program under the Navigation and Cockpit Systems (NACS) Business Unit. This leader will be responsible for executing the Sentinel NIMS Engineering Manufacturing and Development (EMD) contract.

Responsibilities

• Report to the Senior Director, Sentinel NIMS Program and provide overall leadership for a diverse, cross-functional program team to ensure successful delivery of program requirements.
• Accountable for cost, schedule, and technical performance across all phases of execution.
• Support the negotiation of contracts and contract modifications; lead the coordination and development of proposals, business plans, statements of work, specifications, operating budgets, and contract financial terms and conditions.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for program activities, leading program reviews and customer engagements to communicate and align on cost, schedule, and technical performance.
• Establish program-level design concepts and technical criteria; oversee engineering efforts spanning development, integration, and test.
• Define key milestones, maintain adherence to master plans and schedules, proactively identify program risks and issues, and drive timely resolution through actions such as resource realignment or management of contractual and technical changes.
• Direct and integrate the work of personnel across engineering, manufacturing, and administrative functions in support of program objectives.
• Provide program-facing leadership for system hardware configuration, release planning, and integrated deployment execution in an EMD environment.
• Manage the hardware configuration baseline, track and drive design changes, and coordinate across Quality, Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure design compliance in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW).
• Lead strategic hardware product mapping and execution plans to progress hardware through the development lifecycle to release, while overseeing system-level integration activities and identifying process improvements that accelerate hardware deliveries.
• Support execution on large program acquisition contracts, requiring close customer coordination, effective negotiation, and clear communication to ensure commitments for hardware delivery are met.
• Lead and support deployment activities to drive timely execution of integration testing, validation, and verification of the system requirements for sell-off.
• Accountable for system hardware (HW) configuration coordination and release planning, including sequencing and execution of HW deployments across different teams and environments.
• Lead cross-team HW deployment meetings; communicate status, issues, and risks to stakeholders, technical teams, and management.
• Support the leadership of cross-functional Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to meet program deliverables aligned to cost, schedule, and technical performance objectives for the NIMS System.
• Serve as the central point of contact supporting the IPT Lead Program Manager for integrated deployment activities across internal teams, customers, and stakeholders.
• Identify potential risks associated with HW releases and develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Global Supply Chain on the design and acquisition of deployment equipment logistics (e.g., shipping containers, shipping material, transportation).
• Measure, track, and report execution performance, including metrics and delivery progress.
• Develop and manage budget baselines using Earned Value Management System (EVMS) control methodologies and tools.
• Participate in monthly internal rhythms (Program Management Reviews, Headcount Reviews, Financial Forecast reviews, monthly Estimate at Completion (EAC) submittals, and other program meetings as directed by the Program Manager IPT Lead).
• Maintain accountability to the Program Manager IPT Lead for labor and material execution; partner with the program’s Cost Account Manager (CAM) to provide status, resolve issues, and support execution.
• Coordinate with functional organizations to identify, allocate, and manage program resources, including workforce planning to maintain HW releases.
• Prepare charts, briefings, and presentations on program status/progress and process performance to deliver updates to the Program Manager IPT Lead, customers, management, and other program stakeholders.
• Support customer negotiations and provide clear internal and external stakeholder updates as directed by the Program IPT Lead.
• Ensure team understanding of, and adherence to, contract scope and sell-off requirements.
• Develop, maintain, and execute master plans and schedules; drive solutions with the Program Manager IPT Lead to protect schedule execution and performance.
• Execute robust risk and opportunity management practices including identification, mitigation, and realization.
• Ensure adherence to all internal processes, policies, and applicable industry standards.
• Travel as directed by the Program Manager IPT Lead (up to 25%).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant professional experience supporting customers in a program or technical leadership role, or a Master’s degree with 6 years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading programs/teams of greater than 80 full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel.
• Knowledge and application of Earned Value Management System (EVMS) principles and Risk & Opportunity Management (ROM) processes.
• Analytical, technical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with experience making data-driven decisions in a program environment.
• Leadership experience, including the ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams in a collaborative environment.
• Experience building and maintaining strong customer relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience supporting gated product development and design reviews, including activities such as Critical Design Reviews (CDR), Test Readiness Reviews (TRR), and Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) deliverables/compliance.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively present technical and program information to customers, senior leadership, and cross-functional teams.
• Experience leading hard engineering development programs throughout the product development lifecycle, including design, integration, test, and production transition.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• An active U.S. Government Secret security clearance is required to be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs).
• Familiarity with mechanical gimbal systems, Circuit & Card Assemblies (CCA), and power supply design.
• Experience leading teams through formal program replanning efforts, including Over Target Baseline (OTB) and Over Target Schedule (OTS) activities.
• Experience serving in a Project Manager or Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead role.
• Experience supporting manufacturing programs and transitioning products into Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP).
• Cost Account Manager (CAM) certification or demonstrated experience performing CAM responsibilities in an EVMS environment.

Benefits

Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment that encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Benefits include:

• Health Plan
• Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Additional benefits such as Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and more

Pay

Primary level salary range: $193,000.00 - $289,600.00. The above salary range represents a general guideline; Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills, and current market conditions. 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 as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.