Director 2 - Systems Engineering Discipline Lead

Northrop Grumman•Redondo Beach, CA

10d•$266,300 - $399,500•Onsite

About The Position

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history. Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Director 2 – Systems Engineering Discipline Lead. This position will be located in Redondo Beach, CA and will report to the Vice President of Western Region Engineering. In this role, you will lead a growing Systems Engineering organization across our Western Region locations: Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, CA; Azusa, CA; Commerce, CA; Goleta, CA; Oxnard, CA; San Diego, CA; and Gilbert, AZ. You will be responsible for strategic leadership, people management, and day-to-day operational oversight. The Systems Engineering organization spans the following disciplines: Communication Systems Engineering, Mission Payload Systems Engineering, Space Vehicle Systems Engineering, Specialty Engineering (including Radiation and Reliability), Mission Systems Engineering, Modeling and Simulation, Cyber Systems Engineering, Requirements & Verification, and Flight Operations. You will drive both strategic and operational initiatives, ensuring the directorate’s technical capabilities align with program requirements, long-range sector priorities, and corporate objectives. You will bring deep Systems Engineering expertise (including system architecture, SEIT leadership, integration and test, verification and validation) and a demonstrated track record of functionally leading large, complex organizations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) discipline.
Twelve (12) years of engineering, project management, and/or functional management experience.
Demonstrated experience in Systems Engineering, including system architecture, SEIT leadership, and development programs through system integration and test, verification and validation.
Experience in leading large SEIT teams
Proven ability to lead and develop high‑performing teams and collaborate across organizations to achieve shared objectives.
Active Top Secret and SCI clearance at time of application, with a recent Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI).
Ability to travel 25%

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Engineering or another STEM field.
Fifteen (15) years of experience in engineering, project management, and/or functional management roles.
Significant experience leading a large functional or program organization (on the order of 1,000+ personnel) and successfully implementing strategic goals.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills with experience preparing and delivering executive‑level presentations and briefings.

Responsibilities

Provide technical and people leadership, strategic direction, and oversight of all major disciplines/functions within the Systems Engineering organization.
Drive long‑range strategic planning, ensuring organizational alignment with sector goals, program needs, future technology requirements, and the continued critical skill/infrastructure build‑up for the Western Systems Engineering organization.
Lead efforts to optimize people, processes, and tools to support successful captures and program execution activities across the full lifecycle, including development, qualification, manufacturing, integration, test, and flight operations.
Provide ownership for the people, processes, and tools that support SE recruiting, employee development and engagement, skills development, NCTA efforts, staffing, and process and product development.
Ensure application of sound System Engineering processes during capture, conceptual, design, qualification, manufacturing, integration and test of systems in the Space Systems portfolio.
Oversee program/project reviews, including leading Independent Review Teams for key customer milestones such as SRR, SDR, PDR, CDR, and drive SE process improvement plans, proposal review, and commitment authority for SE scope of work.
Quickly engage to identify and diagnose program challenges across their full lifecycle, including development, hardware/software integration, production, and test phases, enabling decisive resolution.
Oversee special assignments such as proposal development, independent technical reviews, program standup reviews, anomaly resolution, and technical audits.
Drive innovation and support advanced research and technology development in systems engineering disciplines to align with long‑range sector priorities (LRSP) and Space Systems strategic roadmaps.
Champion risk, issue, and opportunity management strategies to ensure operational success and proactively mitigate technical and execution risks.
Manage and optimize budgets, including direct, indirect, NCTA, and capital resources, to achieve organizational objectives efficiently and support sector and corporate priorities.
Foster a culture of high performance, inclusion, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution, with an emphasis on communication, collaboration, and employee engagement.