Manager Hardware Engineering 3

Northrop Grumman • San Diego, CA

9d • $167,500 - $263,200

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is seeking a Manager Hardware Engineering 3 to serve as the Sector Engineering organization’s Discipline Execution lead for Hardware Engineering. The position may be based in Linthicum, Maryland; Rolling Meadows, Illinois; or San Diego, California, and requires travel up to 25% to support a geographically distributed team. The role reports directly to the Director of Engineering Discipline Execution.

The lead defines and promotes commonality in hardware engineering across sector sites while enabling site-specific approaches for different technology areas. Working with engineering disciplines and cross-functional organizations, the lead establishes common tools, standards, processes, techniques, metrics, and oversight methods. The role identifies positive and negative trends, develops action plans, sources technical talent for audits and independent reviews, and helps implement near-, mid-, and long-term engineering strategy.

The position leads a distributed team of engineering professionals and facilitates corporate, cross-sector, and intra-sector transformation efforts, emphasizing continuous process improvement, guidance, coaching, and training. It applies knowledge of engineering lifecycles and a strong technical foundation to define a future-state vision and practical plans, influencing leaders and customers to improve cost, performance, schedule, and execution outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and 9 or more years of experience; or a master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 7 or more years of experience; or a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline and 4 or more years of experience.
• Experience working across multiple lines of business and functional disciplines, such as manufacturing, supply chain, business management, and strategy and business development.
• Demonstrated experience leading hardware development across the product development lifecycle, from design through systems deployment, as a lead engineer, chief engineer, or product IPT leader.
• Demonstrated success championing organizational change to achieve business competitive advantage.
• Technical experience in hardware, mechanical, or electrical engineering in the aerospace and defense industry, with direct and tangible Systems Engineering experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of hiring, staffing, engineering metrics, and training resources, processes, and tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Solid understanding of engineering processes, including working familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, and CMMI.
• U.S. citizenship and a current, active U.S. Government Secret Clearance.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret / Special Program Access (SAP) clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Active Top Secret clearance or higher, and ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI and Special Access clearances.
• Ability to partner with stakeholders to balance project-level execution and enterprise-level efficiencies to improve sector performance and competitiveness.
• Ability to work independently toward strategic objectives, contribute in a team environment, and collaborate across the corporation.
• Proven success creating and executing affordability initiatives.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed functional teams, including remote team members.
• Experience engaging with and briefing all levels of management, from CEO to front-line leadership.
• Good general knowledge of Northrop Grumman’s products, technologies, and customers.
• Demonstrated ability to innovate while challenging traditional ways of doing business.
• Experience managing people.

Responsibilities

• Ensure hardware engineering organizations across the sector operate with predictable, repeatable rigor.
• Analyze process differences between sites and work with site leaders to implement changes that establish commonality and improve business outcomes.
• Define oversight methods, including metrics, and implement approaches to improve program and organizational performance across cost, schedule, technical performance, quality, critical skills, and staffing.
• Collaborate on the long-term engineering vision and strategic alignment, and work with peers to respond to industry trends and opportunities for innovation.
• Partner with division engineering teams to improve hardware engineering competitiveness.
• Leverage sector reusable engineering assets—including processes, guidance, tools, templates, and training—to support affordable system design and coach and mentor program and product line teams in their use.
• Partner with other organizations to enhance hardware engineering, mission engineering, digital design, and product line engineering processes across programs.
• Establish execution metrics and improve engineering through updated, automated, and efficient processes.
• Serve as a sector interface to corporate, cross-sector, or intra-sector teams when required.
• Foster collaboration through reusable asset authorities, advisory boards, communities of practice, and centers of excellence.
• Lead the team focused on hardware engineering Principles and Operating Procedures (PrOP).
• Analyze audit results to identify process gaps and escapes, and develop plans to update processes or help audited groups rectify issues.
• Partner with manufacturing, supply chain, program management, and other functional organizations to improve engineering design and performance, including processes, tools, data, and workflows.
• Coordinate technical subject-matter experts for program milestones such as Hardware Requirements Reviews, Critical Design Reviews, and Manufacturing Readiness Reviews.
• Coordinate technical subject-matter experts across organizations for other decision points, including Non-Advocate Reviews, Independent Review Teams, audits, and technical oversight.
• Lead and develop a geographically distributed team of engineering professionals.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance may be available.
• Health insurance coverage.
• Life insurance.
• Disability insurance.
• Savings plan.
• Company-paid holidays.
• Paid time off for vacation and/or personal business.
• Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus, depending on the position.

What This Job Offers

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