Principal Business Management Analyst

Relocation assistance: None. Clearance: Secret required.

About the role

At Northrop Grumman, employees work on revolutionary systems that impact lives worldwide. The company’s pioneering spirit has driven advancements from the first transatlantic flight to stealth bombers and moon landings. The culture values intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity, and bringing your whole self to work, with a drive to achieve what others think impossible. This position is based in Falls Church, VA with a hybrid work schedule option.

Position Overview: The Strategic Cost Management and Operations, Cost Optimization team seeks a tech‑savvy, detail‑oriented Principal Business Management Analyst. The role ensures financial rigor, narrative quality, and reporting integrity of business cases and optimization ideas moving through the Optimization Hub. The analyst partners with managers and directors to develop defensible business cases and apply financial and narrative standards.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) to develop comprehensive, data‑driven business cases and optimization ideas from problem definition through approval and benefits realization.
• Gather and synthesize financial, operational, technical, and qualitative data into cohesive, evidence‑based, narrative‑driven decision artifacts.
• Independently validate financial assumptions and calculations, including ROI, NPV, payback period, run‑rate savings, and one‑time benefits, using established financial templates and methods.
• Perform sensitivity and risk analyses to identify material financial, execution, schedule, or benefits‑realization risks; document findings and recommend corrective actions.
• Review business cases, optimization ideas, and supporting artifacts against established narrative and financial standards to ensure submissions are complete, internally consistent, defensible, and executive‑ready.
• Advise and coach IPTs on business case and optimization idea development, financial modeling, and executive narrative quality.
• Maintain accuracy, completeness, traceability, and reporting readiness of initiative data within the Optimization Hub.
• Produce and analyze approved business cases and optimization ideas performance reporting for weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews, highlighting trends, exceptions, and emerging risks.
• Monitor business cases and optimization ideas across pipeline stages and apply established health, aging, and at‑risk criteria consistently.
• Escalate material variances, aging actions, and underperforming initiatives to project owners and appropriate leadership, supported by clear analysis and recommendations.
• Partner with Business Management, CIDO, and other stakeholders to reconcile realized savings, run‑rate versus one‑time classifications, and budget‑to‑actual results.
• Identify recurring control, reporting, and data‑quality issues and recommend improvements to templates, standards, metrics, and operating processes.
• Prepare and present financial analyses, portfolio insights, and recommendations to managers, directors, and other senior stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary analytical point of contact for assigned business cases and optimization ideas.

Requirements

• 5 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree; 3 years with a Master’s; 1 year with a PhD.
• Advanced Excel skills, including development and review of formula‑driven financial models.
• Working proficiency with data visualization and reporting tools.
• Experience preparing and presenting executive‑level reporting to senior leadership.
• Ability to develop proficiency in the FinOps Framework as well as data center and cloud financial‑management concepts.

Qualifications

• Experience with IT cost management, procurement, FinOps, and/or corporate FP&A program doing business