Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Contracts Professional Level 3 (Principal Contracts Administrator) to join its team of qualified and diverse individuals supporting its Air Dominance Division. This position will be located in Palmdale, CA following a Hybrid 9/80 work schedule.
The successful candidate will support the high-profile B-2 Program and work closely on a day-to-day basis with Managers, Directors, Engineers & Vice Presidents.
This position will be hired at a Principal Contract Administrator Level 3 and will follow a 9/80, Hybrid work schedule. This schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off. The Principal Contract Administrator is responsible for supporting proposal preparation, contract negotiation, contract administration and customer contact activities to provide and ensure proper contract acquisition and fulfillment in accordance with company policies, legal requirements, and customer requirements. You will be an embedded member of the program management team, supporting program success and new growth opportunities across the portfolio.
Primary Job Duties:
· Act as primary interface with customer for contractual issues
· Monitor contract and associated program to ensure that contractual obligations are communicated and understood
· 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
· Work under general supervision to develop solutions to both routine and complex contractual matters to ensure company compliance with contract requirements on assigned programs
· Ensure fulfillment of contract requirements, manage contract changes and maintain historical information
· Review terms and conditions to address provisions and risks of financial terms, acceptance criteria, delivery requirements, warranty, intellectual property, termination provisions, indemnification and all other potential risk areas and recommend risk mitigation strategies
· Prepare and manage written communications with internal and external customers for assigned contractual matters
· Enter and maintain contract data into Contract Management System or Enterprise Accounting System
· Ensure timely delivery of all contractual deliverables and submission of invoices
Basic Qualifications for Principal Level Contracts Administrator 3:
· Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of professional work experience, or Master’s Degree and 3 years of professional work experience
· An additional 4 years of experience will be accepted in lieu of degree
· Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
· Knowledge of FAR/DFAR requirements
· Knowledge of multiple contract types including Firm Fixed Price, Time & Materials or Cost Plus Fixed Fee
· Must have the ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Government Top Secret Security Clearance
Preferred Additional Qualifications:
· Prior experience within aerospace or defense
· Experience with incentive fee and award fee contract types
· Contract Management Certification (Certified Professional Contract Manager, Certified Commercial Contract Manager, Certified Federal Contract Manager, Certified Contract Management Associate)
· Current, active U.S. Government Top Secret Security Clearance
We offer flexible work arrangements to include a 9/80 Hybrid work schedule, 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.
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 and 5 years of professional work experience, or Master's degree and 3 years of professional work experience
- An additional 4 years of experience accepted in lieu of a degree
- Ability to travel up to 10% of the time
- Knowledge of FAR/DFAR requirements
- Knowledge of multiple contract types including Firm Fixed Price, Time & Materials, Cost Plus Fixed Fee
- Ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Government Top Secret Security Clearance
- Prior experience within aerospace or defense
- Experience with incentive fee and award fee contract types
- Contract Management Certification (CPCM, CCCM, CFCM, CCMA)
- Current, active U.S. Government Top Secret Security Clearance
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.







