Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems is seeking a Staff Systems Engineering Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead to be responsible for leading the Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) Production program within our Advanced Weapons team. This role reports to the Chief Engineer (CE) and works closely with the Program Manager (PM), Configuration Management, Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and the customer.
This position is required to be full-time, on-site in the Northridge, CA location. No remote/telework arrangement is available for this position. Applicants must have a current US Government DoW Secret security clearance.
The Staff Systems Engineering IPT Lead is responsible for directing a cross‑functional Integrated Product Team that delivers high‑performance missile systems on‑time, within budget, and to stringent quality and safety standards. The role combines technical expertise, systems engineering, project management, and people leadership to synchronize design, manufacturing, test, logistics, production and sustainment activities throughout the product lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead AARGM Production Engineering Team – Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) management, configuration-management execution & support to CE & PM (through Engineering Review Boards (ERBs) and Change Review Boards (CRBs)), and coordination with IPTs, system-program processes, and System Engineering Plans.
- Support Customer Weekly Meetings (Technical Status Sessions (TSS), risk and opportunity discussions, and the Change Advisory Board (CAB)).
- Produce and synchronize Systems IPT Monthly Estimate at Completion (EAC) reports; coordinate EACs with IPTs to achieve the overall engineering budget.
- Work with the CE to verify baseline-design integration (including product-support elements) satisfies customer requirements; review all proposed configuration changes in ERBs, CRBs, and the Software Change Control Board (SCCB).
- Review verification plans, procedures, results, and reports; monitor system-performance measures.
- Lead Systems Reviews as needed (Functional Review Boards (FRBs), RCCA).
- Support subsystem and lower-level technical reviews, working with section-level IPT Leads.
- Assist the CE in technical briefings, Program Management Review (PMR) briefings, customer weekly meetings, and risk & opportunity assessments.
- Lead section IPT Leads responsible for design updates, verification, configuration management, supplier engineering, and operations support.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science in an engineering discipline with 12+ years in Aerospace or Defense experience; or Master of Science with 10+ years of the same experience, or Ph.D. with 8+ years of prior mentioned experience.
- Experience as an IPT Lead or CAM on system programs
- Experience 3+ years in a product production environment
- Demonstrated experience in the root-cause-corrective-action (RCCA) process and its execution.
- Experience leading technical teams to complete engineering efforts; ability to mentor senior engineers and influence cross-functional decisions.
- Excellent written and oral communication; ability to present complex technical information to senior leadership and external customers.
- Current US Government DoW Secret security clearance
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with sensors and RF Systems
- Prior work on AARGM or other advanced weapon systems.
- Experience with Earned Value Management System (EVMS) and Control Account Management (CAM).
- Published technical papers or patents in missile technology or related fields.
- Familiarity with advanced production processes (Lean, Six-Sigma) applied to high-risk defense programs.
- Ability to get Special Access Program (SAP) clearance
- Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience (SysML, Rhapsody, Enterprise Architect, etc.).
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Primary Level Salary Range: $177,000.00 - $265,000.00The 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 of Science in an engineering discipline with 12+ years aerospace/defense experience OR Master of Science with 10+ years OR Ph.D. with 8+ years
- Experience as an IPT Lead or Control Account Manager (CAM) on system programs
- 3+ years experience in a product production environment
- Demonstrated experience in the root-cause-corrective-action (RCCA) process and execution
- Experience leading technical teams, mentoring senior engineers, and influencing cross-functional decisions
- Excellent written and oral communication; ability to present complex technical information to senior leadership and customers
- Current US Government Department of the Workforce (DoW) Secret security clearance
- U.S. Citizenship (required for positions with government clearance)
- Full-time, on-site in Northridge, CA (no remote/telework)
- Willingness/ability to travel approximately 10% of the time
- Experience with sensors and RF systems
- Prior work on AARGM or other advanced weapon systems
- Experience with Earned Value Management System (EVMS) and Control Account Management (CAM)
- Published technical papers or patents in missile technology or related fields
- Familiarity with advanced production processes (Lean, Six-Sigma) applied to high-risk defense programs
- Ability to obtain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance
- Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience (SysML, Rhapsody, Enterprise Architect, etc.)
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.
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