Air Vehicle Manager Program 3

Northrop Grumman • Melbourne, FL

7d • $166,700 - $250,100 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems sector is seeking a Program Manager 3 to serve as an Air Vehicle Manager focused on delivering a test aircraft to multiple locations for modification and testing. The position is located in Melbourne, Florida.

The Air Vehicle Manager provides day-to-day leadership and programmatic oversight for engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and product support teams to ensure the aircraft and support teams are ready to meet execution schedules. The role interfaces with Program Leadership, Business Operations, Program Integration, and functional organizations to align scope, budget, and schedule with manufacturing and delivery objectives. The manager leads internal and external teammates and suppliers to meet production commitments, support factory execution, and ensure delivery readiness while upholding Northrop Grumman’s values.

The role owns cost, schedule, and technical execution for assigned scope; leads production planning and delivery; advances design maturity and producibility; manages risks and changes; and partners across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, product support, and test organizations. Travel of up to 25% is required. Relocation assistance may be available. An active Secret clearance or higher is required to start, with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance and special program access as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 11 years of related professional and/or military experience, or a Master’s degree and 9 years of related professional and/or military experience.
• Experience in program management and/or engineering leadership delivering production and manufacturing outputs, including designs, drawings, parts, and requirements, within an IPT environment.
• Knowledge of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly, production readiness, First Article Inspection, and supplier industrialization.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams with accountability for cost, schedule, risk, and performance on complex programs.
• Experience supporting production execution, including coordination with manufacturing, supply chain, and quality organizations.
• Familiarity with configuration management and engineering change processes.
• Background in customer engagement, proposal development, and contract execution.
• Experience managing complex responsibilities with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Familiarity with government and military contracts and acquisition processes.
• Active U.S. Government Secret clearance or higher.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Top Secret clearance and special program access as required.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.
• Must be able to obtain a valid U.S. Passport.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science or Master of Science in a STEM discipline, or a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
• Active Top Secret clearance.
• Experience leading IPTs through development-to-production transitions and rate production in an aerospace or defense environment.
• Experience with Earned Value Management, including assessing progress and forecasting Estimates at Completion.
• Experience with SOW development, BOE creation, and negotiations.
• Five or more years of experience managing complex cost accounts.
• Proficiency with PLM/ERP systems, configuration management, MBOM/EBOM alignment, and change control boards.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, business management, product support, and customer organizations.
• Exceptional communication skills, including briefing leadership, engaging customers, and translating technical content for stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to delegate effectively while maintaining accountability for overall IPT success.
• Strategic thinking and a record of implementing continuous improvement actions to improve production performance, delivery outcomes, and organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead a cross-functional team to plan and deliver production of an aircraft that meets design and schedule objectives.
• Own cost, schedule, and technical execution for assigned scope, including maintaining integrated master schedules, budgets, and resource plans aligned to manufacturing needs.
• Drive design maturity and producibility by coordinating design reviews, configuration baselines, and change incorporation, and integrating Design for Manufacturing and Assembly principles into releases.
• Oversee risk, issue, and opportunity management, including mitigation planning, closure actions, and reporting to program leadership and customers.
• Lead change management for production-impacting content, including engineering changes and configuration control activities.
• Partner with Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Support, and Test organizations to ensure requirements are clear, traceable, and executable in the factory and supplier base.
• Monitor and report performance metrics, including release throughput, change cycle time, supplier readiness, quality, and cost and schedule performance, and drive continuous improvement actions.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and programmatic oversight for engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and product support teams.
• Interface with Program Leadership, Business Operations, Program Integration, and functional organizations to align scope, budget, and schedule with manufacturing and delivery objectives.
• Lead internal and external teammates and suppliers to meet production commitments, support factory execution, and ensure readiness for delivery.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company-paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Potential eligibility for overtime, shift differential, and discretionary bonus, depending on position
• Relocation assistance may be available

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior