Director of Engineering II

Northrop Grumman • Plymouth, MN

35d • $231,100 - $346,700 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Senior Director of Engineering to lead the Engineering function for the Armament Systems Business Unit (AS BU) in Plymouth, MN. Reporting to the Weapon Systems Division Engineering Director and matrixed to the BU Vice President, this role is instrumental in shaping the vision, strategy, and growth of the organization while fostering a culture of execution excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement. The Senior Director of Engineering provides overall leadership to the ASBU Engineering team, which is responsible for all aspects of systems engineering, integration, and test; system design and development activities; as well as production/product engineering support for the Armament Systems business unit products.

Requirements

• 20+ years of professional experience (BS); 18+ years (MS); 15+ years (PhD)
• 15+ years of leadership experience in functional management, program management, or technical leadership within the aerospace/defense industry
• Aerospace/Munitions/Armaments systems background
• Proven ability to set strategic direction, establish priorities, and drive accountability
• Experience building and leading high-performing engineering teams
• Expertise in product development, technology roadmaps, and strategic technology execution
• Strong critical thinking, decision-making, and priority-setting skills
• Demonstrated ability to engage and influence stakeholders, including senior executives and cross-functional teams
• Experience presenting to C-suite and senior leadership
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Current active Secret or Top Secret clearance
• Most recent clearance investigation, or admittance into the Continuous Evaluation Program (CEP), within the last 5 years
• Ability to obtain SAP accesses

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of munitions/armaments/missile systems
• Background in implementing and managing large-scale programs and managing many diverse programs simultaneously
• Experience leading programs with complex engineering challenges

Responsibilities

• Oversee engineering execution across the Armament Systems (AS) portfolio
• Lead and develop a cohesive engineering organization aligned with the unit’s strategic goals
• Drive innovation and best practices, leveraging digital engineering advancements and corporate-wide expertise
• Provide guidance and mentorship to senior engineering leadership, fostering talent engagement and career development
• Execute workforce planning, including recruiting, retention, talent management, and competency development
• Identify and develop new engineering capabilities to support future business opportunities
• Ensure adequate staffing, tools, processes, and infrastructure to support both current execution and business growth
• Define and implement clear engineering processes, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure successful program execution
• Establish strong partnerships between Engineering, Program Management, Global Supply Chain, Mission Assurance/Quality Assurance, and Operations to enhance efficiency and delivery
• Provide technical leadership in identifying and mitigating risks while serving as the top escalation point for engineering concerns
• Drive technology advancements to enhance business objectives and competitive positioning
• Support business development efforts, contributing technical expertise to capture and execution strategies
• Foster cross-functional collaboration across business units, divisions, and sectors to achieve strategic goals

Benefits

• Relocation assistance may be available
• health insurance coverage
• life and disability insurance
• savings plan
• Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• overtime
• shift differential
• discretionary bonus
• Annual bonuses
• Long Term Incentives (for VP or Director positions)

What This Job Offers

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