The Research and Advanced Design (R&AD) division develops, demonstrates and transitions differentiating technologies, aeronautics platforms, advanced missions and architectural design concepts to drive sector and company growth. Our team supporting R&AD is integral to growth, works with cutting-edge industry leading approaches, and develops unique experiences to further individual career growth with a mission mindset.
Our team is highly driven to learn, grow and be a part of the future of Aeronautics vehicles, all the while focused on knowledge sharing and collaboration within our team and internal program teams.
Our success factors include: Critical thinker, problem solver, creative contractual mindset, and motivated with a competitive nature eager to work on a team environment. Our team is made up of 'intrapreneurs' - those eager to innovate within the structure of our existing dynamic, forward thinking organization.
Our team woks with select customers to identify and pursue innovative technology development programs, create engagement strategies, and ultimately address customer needs and warfighting challenges.
Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Capture Principal Contracts Administrator (Level 3) to join its team supporting its Research & Advanced Design (R&AD) division. This position will be located on site daily in Redondo Beach, CA. This position operates on 9/80 schedule, offering every other Friday off.
The Contracts Administrator will participate in contract proposal preparation, contract negotiations, contract administration, and customer contract activities to manage assigned contracts in accordance with company policies, legal requirements and customer specifications. As primary interface with customer, the Contracts Administrator will ensure that contractual obligations are communicated and understood, ensure fulfillment of contract requirements, manage contract changes, be proactive in administering each contract and maintain historical information. This role requires knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and government contracting process. If you are someone who has a proven ability to work independently with high attention to detail in a fast-paced environment then this role is for you.
The Contracts Management team responsible for providing contract support for various CPFF, FFP, T&M, IDIQ Government (FAR/DFARS) contracts and Other Transaction Agreements. Support of these contracts involve proposal development, contract negotiation, contract compliance, contract/task order management, contract modifications, and contract close-out. The team works closely with the legal and proposal teams across various program, business management and engineering teams.
Associated Responsibilities and Essential Functions:
This role will have significant visibility within high visibility programs, including some Division and Sector submittals and reviews and must manage tight deadlines in a complex environment.
This role will support many competitive efforts, including large captures and heavy proposals.
We’re looking for someone is excited and curious about learning, growing and contributing the Defining Possible here in R&AD Contracts team.
Compliance with government regulations, legal requirements, and company policies
Maintain an audit file for each contract to include the original contract, all correspondence, changes/deviations/modifications, amendments, clarifications, payment schedules, and deliverables
Provide program managers and executives with contract brief during the contract
Cultivate strong, ongoing relationships with internal/external customers
Provide contractual guidance and risk manage mitigation strategies for contractual business obligations
Basic Qualifications for Principal Contracts Administrator Level 3:
Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of Business Management, Global Supply Chain, Subcontracts, Legal or business-related experience – OR - Master's degree with 3 years of Business Management, Global Supply Chain, Subcontracts, Legal or business-related experience
Must have experience negotiating and administering various contract types
Must have experience with government regulations, such as FAR or DFAR
Must have 2 years of experience with Government Contracts
Ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret clearance
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain the Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within 120 days of start date.
Preferred Qualifications:
Active US Government Secret or higher clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
Experience working competitive DoD proposals
Contracts Administration, Business and /or Supply Chain experience and/or extended education
Experience working with customers, client facing, and executive engagement
Experience in training, knowledge share, and collaboration with contracts, program, and business colleagues
Experience with ID/IQ, OTA, FOPRs, Cost Type, Fixed Price, Incentive and Government contract types
Certification from the National Contracts Management Association
We offer flexible work arrangements, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment. We are looking for self-motivated, proactive, and goal-oriented people to help us grow our services and become even better at what we do.
At Northrop Grumman, we are on the cutting edge of innovation-- building the next generation of sophisticated aircraft to protect our country. Our diverse portfolio of programs means there are endless paths to cultivate your career. We are well-known for our inclusive, family environment, as well as our excellent work/life balance. We also offer exceptional benefits/healthcare, a 9/80 schedule, and a great 401K matching program.
Primary Level Salary Range: $94,200.00 - $141,200.00The 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.Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree plus 5 years of Business Management, Global Supply Chain, Subcontracts, Legal, or related business experience; or a master's degree plus 3 years of such experience
- Experience negotiating and administering various contract types
- Experience with government regulations, including FAR or DFARS
- At least 2 years of experience with government contracts
- Ability to obtain and maintain a United States Government Secret clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program clearance within 120 days of the start date
- Active United States Government Secret or higher clearance
- Background investigation completed within the last 6 years or enrollment in Continuous Evaluation
- Experience supporting competitive Department of Defense proposals
- Contracts administration, business, or supply chain experience and/or extended education
- Experience working with customers, client-facing stakeholders, and executives
- Experience with IDIQ, OTA, FOPRs, cost-type, fixed-price, incentive, and other government contract types
- National Contracts Management Association certification
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.







