Discipline Execution lead for Systems Engineering
The Sector Engineering organization (formerly Strategy & Engineering Excellence [S&EE]) enables continuously improving engineering execution and deploys strategy in close partnership with division-aligned engineering teams. We are a trusted partner in Engineering Discipline Execution, Technology Leadership, Engineering Strategy, Technical Talent, and Advanced Analytics. We create and deliver on initiatives that need a broad sector approach and scale outcomes achieved within a division to the sector. We define and enable commonality in tools and processes. We merge insights across engineering and other functional areas, unify the broad engineering team, and act on near-, mid-, and long-term plans to achieve our strategy.
The Discipline Execution lead for Systems Engineering directly reports to the Director of Engineering Discipline Execution. The role is responsible for seeking and defining commonality in systems engineering disciplines across the sector’s sites, while enabling site specific approaches necessary for their technology areas. This critical role requires extensive collaboration across engineering disciplines of Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Hardware or Design Engineering, Integration and Test Engineering, and more. The team is responsible for defining common tools, standards, processes, techniques, and oversight methods across sites. The Lead will understand positive and negative trends and create action plans for both. In conjunction with the Engineering Strategy team, the Engineering Discipline Execution team will collaborate on a future vision and employ near-, mid-, and long-term actions to achieve organizational objectives. The Lead will be responsible to source the necessary Systems Engineering talent for successful audits, independent review teams, root cause and corrective actions, and others. The Lead will also partner extensively with cross-functional organizations to target improvements that benefit overall business outcomes, e,g., Global Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality and Mission Assurance, Business Management, Program Management.
The Discipline Execution lead for Systems Engineering will lead a geographically distributed team of engineering professionals aligned across various organizations to accomplish the role. The Lead facilitates the deployment of long-term corporate, cross-sector, and intra-sector system engineering transformation efforts, with focus on continuous process improvement, guidance, coaching, and training.
Our ideal candidate understands various engineering lifecycles and has the strategic vision of how it could or should be, and pragmatically how to achieve the desired state. The preferred candidate will have a solid technical background, strategic mindset and ability to influence multiple levels of leadership and customers to drive cost, performance, schedule and improvement to innovate and execute engineering activities.
Specific Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
Discipline Execution
- Ensure systems engineering organizations across the sector are operating with predictable, repeatable rigor.
- Perform analysis to understand process differences between sites and, in collaboration with site leaders, implement change that achieves commonality to achieve business outcomes.
- Define oversight methods (e.g., metrics).
- Implement methods to drive systems engineering program performance and engineering organizational performance across cost, schedule, technical, quality, critical skills and staff, and various other areas.
- Collaborate on engineering long-term vision and strategic alignment
- Execute strategy and collaborate with organizational peers to stay ahead of industry trends and opportunities for innovation and engineering differentiation
- Partner with division engineering teams to improve systems engineering competitiveness. Includes:
- Leveraging sector reusable engineering assets (processes, guidance, tools, templates, and training) to design affordable systems at the speed of customer need
- Providing support to program and product line teams through coaching and mentoring on the use of these sector assets
- Partnering with other organizations to enhance systems engineering, mission engineering, digital design and product line engineering processes across programs
- Partner with other organizations to establish metrics and other measures focused on execution
- Improving engineering through updated, automated, and efficient processes
- When required, act as a sector interface to corporate, cross-sector, and/or intra-sector teams.
- Foster collaboration through groups such as reusable asset authorities, advisory boards, communities of practice, and centers of excellence.
Process & Standards & Audits
· Leads team focused on systems engineering Principles and Operating Procedures (PrOP);
· Perform analysis on audit results to understand process gaps, process escapes, and implement plans to update processes and/or work with audited groups to rectify any issues
Cross-Functional Partnerships
- Partner with other functional organizations (manufacturing, supply chain, program management, etc.) to enable competitive engineering design and performance, including changes to engineering processes, tools, data, and workflows.
- Coordinating technical SMEs to support critical program milestones such as System Requirements Reviews, Critical Design Reviews, Manufacturing Readiness Reviews, etc.
- Coordinate technical SMEs across organizations in support of other key decision points (e.g. Non-Advocate Reviews, Independent Review Teams, audits/technical oversight, etc.)
Travel
· Position requires travel up to 25% of the time to support distributed team
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree with minimum of 10 years of experience, or a master’s degree with minimum 8 years of experience, or a PhD with minimum 6 years of experience in STEM related technical fields
- Good general knowledge of Northrop Grumman portfolio of products, technologies and customers
- Experience working across multiple lines of business and functional disciplines (e.g. manufacturing, supply chain, business management, strategy & business development)
- Demonstrated experience leading systems development across the product development lifecycle (from design – to - systems deployment), either as a lead systems engineer, chief engineer, product IPT leader or program manager
- Demonstrated ability to innovate while challenging traditional ways of doing business
- Demonstrated success in championing change within the organization to achieve competitive advantage for the business
- Technical experience in any combination of Systems, Software, Hardware, or Cybersecurity engineering within the aerospace & defense industry with direct and tangible Systems Engineering experience.
- Demonstrated knowledge of hiring, staffing, engineering metrics and training resources, processes, and tools
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong project management skills
- Solid understanding of engineering process, including a working familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, and CMMI
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- A current/active DoD secret clearance is required with the ability to obtain Special Program Access (SAP)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Active Top-Secret Clearance or higher and the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI and Special Access Clearance
- Strong experience in Systems Engineering
- Demonstrated ability to partner with other stakeholders to achieve an optimum balance between project-level execution and enterprise-level efficiencies that improve overall sector performance and competitiveness
- Ability to operate independently based on strategic objectives, work in a team environment, and collaborate across the corporation as required to accomplish team goals
- Proven success in creating and executing affordability initiatives
- Experience leading geographically dispersed functional teams, including team members working remotely
- Experience engaging with and briefing all levels of management - from CEO, to front-line leadership
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree with minimum 10 years' experience OR Master's with minimum 8 years OR PhD with minimum 6 years in STEM-related field
- Current/active DoD Secret clearance required with ability to obtain Special Program Access (SAP)
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- Demonstrated experience leading systems development across the product development lifecycle (lead systems engineer, chief engineer, IPT leader or program manager)
- Technical experience in Systems, Software, Hardware, or Cybersecurity engineering within the aerospace & defense industry with direct Systems Engineering experience
- Experience working across multiple lines of business and functional disciplines (manufacturing, supply chain, business management, strategy & BD)
- Demonstrated knowledge of hiring, staffing, engineering metrics, training resources, processes, and tools
- Solid understanding of engineering process, including working familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, and CMMI
- Strong project management skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to travel up to 25% to support distributed team
- Good general knowledge of Northrop Grumman portfolio of products, technologies and customers
- Active Top-Secret clearance or higher and ability to obtain/maintain TS/SCI and Special Access Clearance
- Experience leading geographically dispersed functional teams, including remote team members
- Proven success creating and executing affordability initiatives
- Experience briefing and engaging with all levels of management (CEO to front-line leadership)
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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Retirement Support — 401(k) matching is considered strong, with additional defined-benefit coverage for certain cohorts and options like catch-up contributions. Retirement programs are repeatedly highlighted as a core strength of the total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO, company-paid holidays, and compressed work schedules (such as 9/80) provide meaningful time away and flexibility. These scheduling options are cited as a major quality-of-life benefit across many locations.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave alongside caregiver leave, adoption assistance, and back-up care supports a range of family needs. These programs have been expanded recently, signaling continued investment in family support.
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.
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