Mission and Quality Assurance Lead

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

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 Space Systems is seeking a Central Region Mission and Quality Assurance Analyst.  This role will be directly aligned to the Risk and Opportunity Management Plan and Mission Assurance/Quality Assurance requirements.

The selected candidate will lead quality and mission assurance activities across the software- and hardware-intensive ground segment, integrating risk and opportunity management with the Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure first-time quality and mission success.

If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!

Key Responsibilities for Quality Management System & Mission Assurance (Program, Systems, Hardware, Supplier, Software MA):

• Execute Mission Assurance/Quality Assurance (MAQA) responsibilities in alignment with the organizational Quality Management System (QMS), including compliance to AS9100 Rev D, applicable Northrop Grumman procedures (PrOPs), and customer requirements.
• Implement and maintain an internal program audit plan aligned with the organizational risk-based audit (RBA) plan, performing targeted audits of software, hardware, and system processes to evaluate effectiveness of the QMS and verify compliance with AS9100, Northrop Grumman procedures (PrOPs), and program-specific requirements.
• Drive Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) activities:
  • Lead or guide RCCA for nonconformances, quality escapes, and audit findings.
  • Define and implement corrective actions, validate effectiveness, and ensure closure is documented in the RCCA tracking tool.
• Participate in and support the Preventive Corrective Action Board (PCAB), Failure Review Boards (FRB), and related mission assurance boards to address systemic issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Manage nonconformances (DRs) and escapes in accordance with the nonconformance tracking processes, ensuring documentation, disposition, and verification of corrective actions.
• Support development and reporting of quality metrics and use metrics to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure quality goals and objectives are translated into actionable plans for software, hardware, systems, supplier, and program-level mission assurance.
• Program MA: Review and approve SDRLs, quality metrics, and statements of work (SOW) compliance from a mission assurance/quality perspective; support audits and risk/opportunity management from a program quality standpoint.
• Systems MA: Collaborate with systems engineering to plan, witness, and approve subsystem and system-level verification, validation, and sell-off activities, ensuring requirements are met and acceptance criteria are satisfied.
• Hardware MA: Support and perform hardware inspections (including PCAs and other configuration/acceptance inspections) on end-item deliverables and test lab configurations; verify hardware readiness for test, integration, and delivery.
• Supplier MA: Coordinate with Supplier Mission Assurance (SMA) and supply chain to evaluate and monitor suppliers, ensuring quality requirements are flowed down, verified, and maintained through audits, inspections, and performance metrics.
• Software MA: Support mission assurance of software capabilities primarily through planning, witnessing, and reviewing system and subsystem-level testing of software-enabled functions, rather than direct development, while leveraging software engineering knowledge to understand risks and issues.

Program-Integrated Mission Assurance & Risk/Opportunity Management

• Implement and sustain the Risk and Opportunity Management Plan (ROMP) and associated Risk and Opportunity Management (RSKOM) process for software, hardware, system, and program mission assurance activities.
• Act as a key contributor to the Risk and Opportunity Management Board (ROMB):
  • Identify, assess, and document software, hardware, and system risks/opportunities in the program’s risk, issue, and opportunity tracking tool.
  • Define and execute handling strategies (avoid/mitigate/transfer/accept/monitor for risks; capture/pursue/transfer/monitor/accept for opportunities).
• Apply program-specific risk scales (probability and impact in cost, schedule, and technical performance) and use the program’s 5x5 risk/opportunity matrix to prioritize actions.
• Ensure realized risks are appropriately transitioned into corrective and preventive actions and feed Schedule Risk Analysis (SRA) and Earned Value Management (EVM) estimates (Best/Most Likely/Worst case).

Cross-Functional Leadership & Culture

• Collaborate with program management, MAQA, and functional leadership to align quality initiatives with program objectives and to embed risk/opportunity and quality thinking throughout the program.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to less-experienced Mission Assurance and Quality team members; support cross-training activities within the department.
• Serve as a liaison between engineering teams, program management, customers, suppliers, and the prime contractor for quality, mission assurance, and risk/opportunity-related matters.
• Foster a safety-first, quality-driven culture that emphasizes proactive risk identification, disciplined configuration control, and continuous improvement in support of Northrop Grumman’s organizational values.
• Perform other mission assurance and quality-related duties as assigned in support of program and department objectives.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or other related field with 5 years of relevant software development/integration and mission assurance/quality experience – OR – Master’s degree in a related STEM field with 3 years of experience – OR – PhD in a related STEM field with 1 year of experience. Will consider an additional 4+ years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance at time of application, with ability to obtain/maintain required program access.
• Experience in mission assurance, quality engineering, or software/hardware development/test environments within aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability industries, preferably aligned to structured RSKOM and QMS frameworks.
• Demonstrated knowledge of software development processes, including Agile and familiarity with traditional models (e.g., Waterfall, Spiral).
• Demonstrated knowledge of one or more programming languages such as C, C++, Java, and Python sufficient to understand code structure and participate in technical discussions and code reviews as needed.
• Demonstrated expertise in root cause analysis, corrective/preventive actions (RCCA), and risk management, including use of probability/impact scales or similar frameworks.
• Familiarity with quality standards and regulations (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001, CMMI) and their application to software- and hardware-intensive systems.
• Demonstrated experience in process and product evaluation, including process monitoring, data collection, analysis, and metric reporting for software, hardware, and system quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience implementing a Risk and Opportunity Management Plan on a complex aerospace or defense program, including participation in or leadership of ROMB-style boards.
• Prior engagement in customer or supplier interface roles regarding quality, mission assurance, or risk/opportunity management.
• Experience in a Software Engineering environment in an engineering capacity, including work plan review, manufacturing readiness review, FRB participation, and RCCA leadership.
• Familiarity with TRIO or similar risk/issue/opportunity tools, as well as the Atlassian tool suite, Git, and Confluence.
• Exposure to advanced quality tools and methodologies, including Six Sigma/Lean; professional quality certifications such as ASQ CQE, Six Sigma Green Belt, or Black Belt are a plus.
• Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance

Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, 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. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.