Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Sr. Principal Payloads Electronics Engineer to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals as a Supplier Management Team (SMT) Lead. This position will be located in San Diego (Rancho Bernardo), CA. or Palmdale, CA.
The Supplier Management Team (SMT) reports to the Payloads IPT Lead and is the IPT’s and Global Supply Chain’s (GSC’s) primary interface to the supplier for the associated subsystem(s).
The SMT Engineer will be responsible for:
Coordinating the efforts of the SMT, including engineers, the subcontracts administrator, supplier quality assurance representatives, logistics engineers, cost account manager, scheduler, and material planner.
Coordinating and managing the execution of all phases of supplier performance including planning, proposals, new capability development, production, testing, deliveries, and sustainment.
Conducting or coordinating review of supplier documentation (e.g., technical evaluations of proposals, acceptance test procedures, cost and schedule reports, software version description documents).
Reporting supplier status to Program Managers, GSC managers, and IPT Management.
The selected candidate should thrive working in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, engaged in significantly diverse assignments, within a collaborative/team setting across all levels of the organization.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is NO remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required.
Basic Qualifications
T04: Bachelor of Science in STEM related Degree and 8 or more years of related experience; or Masters with 6 or more years of experience; or PhD and 4 or more years of experience.
Must have Supplier Management Experience.
Familiarity with product lifecycles and government acquisition process related to selling, development, LRIP/production, sustainment.
Ability to establish a solid working relationship with technical staff, IWO partners, and customers.
Familiarity with Project Management principles and Control Account Management techniques
Must have an active US Government Top-Secret Clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
Ability to obtain and maintain US Government SCI clearance
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance, within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs.
Preferred Qualifications:
Degree in Electronics Engineering
Experience with electro-optical, sensors and/or communications systems, including development, test, production, integration and/or operations.
Program Management experience / completion of Project Management Professional course.
CAM/EV training.
Experience with Managing suppliers as part of a government/DoD contract.
Experience with T&M, CPFF, FFP contract types.
Experience with Supplier statement of work (SSOW) generation.
Experience with Requirements development/flow down.
Experience with Contract negotiations.
Experience with Technical evaluations of proposals.
Repair management, DMSMS evaluations, MRP requirements.
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Science in a STEM field (or Masters/PhD with corresponding experience per T04)
- Minimum experience as defined by T04 (BS + 8+ years, MS + 6+ years, or PhD + 4+ years)
- Supplier management experience
- Familiarity with product lifecycles and government acquisition processes (LRIP/production/sustainment)
- Ability to establish strong working relationships with technical staff, partners, and customers
- Familiarity with Project Management principles and Control Account Management techniques
- Active US Government Top-Secret clearance (background investigation within past 6 years or enrolled in Continuous Evaluation)
- Ability to obtain and maintain US Government SCI clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance
- U.S. Citizenship (required for positions with government clearance)
- Work full-time on-site at company facility (no remote/hybrid)
- Willingness to travel up to 25%
- Degree in Electronics Engineering
- Experience with electro-optical, sensors, and/or communications systems (development, test, production, integration, or operations)
- Program management experience or completion of PMP course
- CAM/EV training
- Experience managing suppliers on government/DoD contracts
- Familiarity with contract types (T&M, CPFF, FFP)
- Experience generating Supplier Statement of Work (SSOW)
- Experience with requirements development and flow down
- Contract negotiation experience
- Technical evaluation of proposals experience
- Repair management, DMSMS evaluations, and MRP requirements experience
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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