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 - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. 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 — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Level 2 Contract Administrator to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located on-site in San Diego, CA. This position requires the ability to work on site weekly in Rancho Bernardo with a hybrid telework schedule.
What You’ll Get to Do
The Contract Administrator will report to the RQ-4 Foreign Military Sales (FMS)/International Contract Manager and provide Contracts support for various contracts within the RQ-4 program. The RQ-4 Contracts team is part of the AISR&T BU within the Global Surveillance Division and is focused on providing innovative solutions to problems and growing the business for the BU.
The Contract Administrator will interface with all levels of management and customer counterparts, including program managers, business managers, finance, and pricing to perform the following contract administration responsibilities:
Administers, extends, negotiates and closes standard and nonstandard contracts
Conduct proposal preparation, contract negotiations, contract administration, and customer contact activities to provide for proper contract acquisition and fulfillment in accordance with company policies, legal requirements, and customer specifications.
Take an active role in proposal support and bid preparation; managing contract proposal volumes, supporting fact finding and the negotiation process to ensure proposals are fully responsive to prospective customer requirements
Perform risk assessment of proposals and contracts terms and conditions and assist program office in development of risk mitigation strategies
Develop and process contract sign-off packages, managing the approval process for proposals, contracts and modifications
Maintain excellent working relationships with customers to effectively communicate, administer, modify, negotiate and terminate standard and nonstandard contractual agreements
Advise program teams of contractual rights and obligations, including interpretation of contract terms and conditions
Maintain and update contract documents and official program records, including contractual documents and correspondence
Provide direct contract support, review contractual documents to ensure protection of company's contractual/risk posture, satisfaction of contractual requirements and adherence to company policies
Research contract issues and prepare analysis with citations
Work cooperatively with the technical staff to address customer requests
Understand, assess, and evaluate contract provisions, clauses, regulations (including FAR and DFARS clauses), flow-downs and subcontract requirements
Basic Required Qualifications
Must either have a bachelor’s degree with 2 years of related professional experience or master’s degree with 1 years of related professional experience
Basic understanding of Government contracting requirements
Working knowledge of FAR/DFARS clauses
Experience working independently on routine to moderate contract management responsibilities including contract and regulatory compliance and negotiations (price, terms and conditions and technical requirements)
Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs
Preferred Qualifications:
Strong technical contracts background to include proposal development and negotiation skills
Experience in the Defense Industry
Experience leading teams, including cross-functional/cross-organization teams
Ability to manage multiple contracts at the same time of moderate value and risk level, including various contract types such as cost reimbursable and fixed price
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree with 2 years of related professional experience, or master's degree with 1 year of related professional experience
- Basic understanding of government contracting requirements
- Working knowledge of FAR and DFARS clauses
- Experience independently handling routine to moderate contract management responsibilities, including compliance and negotiations
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance within a reasonable time
- Strong technical contracts background, including proposal development and negotiation skills
- Experience in the defense industry
- Experience leading cross-functional or cross-organizational teams
- Ability to manage multiple moderate-value, moderate-risk contracts, including cost-reimbursable and fixed-price contracts
Northrop Grumman Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northrop Grumman and has not been reviewed or approved by Northrop Grumman.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple medical plan options by region alongside dental, vision, mental‑health resources, and wellness programs. Recent materials also highlight added family‑building support, including a dedicated fertility benefit.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) savings plan is positioned as competitive with a company match, auto‑escalation features, and access to an employee stock fund/ESPP. Official filings and benefits guides emphasize retirement as a core element of the Total Rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Many sites offer a 9/80 schedule, generous PTO, paid holidays, and flexible/telework options where program needs allow. Paid parental and caregiver leave are prominently featured, with recent enhancements for the delivering parent.
Northrop Grumman Insights
What We Do
We are a close-knit community of big thinkers collaborating to keep the world safe. Our passion, creativity and expertise bring next-level technology solutions to life in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, space, and logistics and modernization for our customers around the globe. On the Northrop Grumman team, you’ll join our pursuit of excellence immersed in a dynamic culture of innovation and respect. Your unique perspective will help achieve our shared vision for the future of global security. Every step of the way, you'll be supported by world-class training, employee resource groups and a comprehensive benefits package that enables greater health and happiness for you and your family. Worldwide and across disciplines, we’re challenging what’s possible for technology to protect people and places from undersea to outer space and into cyberspace. And we see the impact of our performance every day. We are Northrop Grumman, and we work on what matters—now, you too can make a difference. Explore opportunities in engineering, IT, manufacturing, business management, cybersecurity and more with us. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.








