Manufacturing Systems Engineering Manager 2 (20637 - 20634)

Northrop Grumman • Roy, UT

7d • $139,100 - $208,700 • Onsite

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Strategic Deterrent Systems is seeking a Manufacturing Systems Engineering (MSE) Manager to co-lead Scaling & Affordability for the Test & Production Operations business unit. The role supports missile programs transitioning from Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) into Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and Full-Rate Production (FRP), and is located in Roy, Utah. Relocation assistance may be available.

The manager directs a segment of the program and a functional team, with responsibility for cost, schedule, technical performance, and quality of MSE-owned work packages supporting production scaling and affordability. The position leads and develops MSEs and technical staff, oversees projects, and helps ensure that manufacturing systems and processes can support production-rate increases.

The role guides manufacturing system requirements, architecture, implementation, verification, and validation across the lifecycle, from concept development through production implementation and continuous improvement. Projects involve advanced and emerging manufacturing capabilities and digital technologies intended to improve production quality and flow, reduce span time and time-to-market, and lower cost. The manager tracks cost, savings, return on investment, risks, and program performance; supports proposals, statements of work, estimates, and project execution; and works with internal stakeholders and customer representatives. The position may require travel to Northrop Grumman sites and suppliers, and allows travel up to 50% of the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline and 8 years of combined technical and leadership experience in engineering, aviation, systems engineering, aerospace, or manufacturing/production; or a master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 6 years of combined technical and leadership experience in those fields.
• At least 2 years of experience leading an engineering team, technical team, project, or integrated product team.
• At least 2 years of project or program management experience, including proposal support, scheduling, budget tracking, and execution.
• Active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at the time of application, current and within scope.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period, as determined by the company.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Proven leadership of cross-functional integrated product teams and coordination with stakeholders and customers, such as the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, across lifecycle phases including EMD, LRIP, and FRP.
• Success leading transition-to-production and rate-readiness efforts, including process development, process-control implementation, and manufacturing-process maturation for rate increases and high-volume production.
• Experience managing direct reports, including employee development, performance feedback, staffing, and workload prioritization in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong background in systems engineering and manufacturing processes, including translating system-level and stakeholder requirements into producible, affordable designs and executable work instructions.
• Experience with production scaling and affordability initiatives, including cost-reduction projects, design for manufacturability or producibility, and cycle-time reduction.
• Hands-on experience on production shop floors, working with manufacturing operations, technicians, and support functions to solve issues, improve throughput, and support increasing delivery rates.
• Experience leading or contributing to structured process-improvement efforts such as Lean or Six Sigma; Green Belt or Black Belt certification is preferred.
• Experience with risk and opportunity management, including identification, analysis, mitigation planning, and execution for production and transition-to-rate activities.
• Experience with EVMS or similar program-performance frameworks, including schedule and cost performance analysis and variance or corrective-action management.
• Experience supporting proposals and early lifecycle program activities, including affordability, producibility, rate-readiness, and manufacturing-risk assessments.
• Leadership experience in high-tempo production environments with increasing build rates, aggressive schedules, evolving configurations, and competing priorities.
• Strong technical communication and writing skills, including preparation of plans, procedures, risk and affordability assessments, and technical reviews for leadership and customers.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a team of manufacturing systems engineers and technical staff, including direct supervision, performance feedback, staffing, development, and workload prioritization.
• Provide objective-oriented direction to subordinates and oversee work assigned to the organizational group, becoming directly involved as needed to meet schedules or resolve technical and operational issues.
• Co-lead the Scaling & Affordability strategy for Test & Production Operations, ensuring manufacturing systems and processes support transitions from EMD builds to LRIP and FRP rates.
• Lead transition-to-production activities for developed manufacturing systems in program and functional manufacturing spaces, including production and test.
• Maintain a strong presence on production and test shop floors to validate performance, ensure solutions are robust and scalable, and resolve issues.
• Guide development of manufacturing system requirements, architectures, and implementation plans supporting rate increases, quality improvement, and affordability.
• Ensure requirements are converted into designs, implementations, and production validations, including verification and validation of new manufacturing capabilities.
• Manage MSE projects from concept through continuous improvement while balancing technical performance, cost, and schedule.
• Lead and prioritize process-improvement and affordability projects using structured methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma.
• Evaluate and track project costs, savings, and return on investment, and ensure committed improvements are realized and sustained in production and test operations.
• Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing systems, data integrity, visibility, and flow to support higher rates and improved affordability.
• Identify and mitigate manufacturing-system risks and opportunities, including capacity constraints, process maturity, and digital infrastructure gaps.
• Support cost and schedule risk analyses, and track risk and opportunity items and mitigation plans tied to scaling and process-improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Program and Business Management on cost, schedule, and quality metrics for MSE-owned scope, and contribute to EVMS analyses as applicable.
• Lead or support technical proposals, statement-of-work development, and estimating, including clear scope, requirements, and basis of estimates for manufacturing systems work.
• Manage project cost and schedule through all phases and ensure assigned projects are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Recommend and implement operating-procedure modifications as needed to meet program and functional objectives.
• Advise the unit on tasks, projects, and operations, becoming actively involved in daily operations when needed to meet commitments or resolve complex problems.
• Serve as a primary liaison with Engineering, Test, Production Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, Quality, Business Management, and external customer representatives on scaling and manufacturing systems topics.
• Conduct briefings and participate in technical meetings with different management levels to communicate status, risks, mitigation plans, and results.
• Travel occasionally to other company sites and suppliers for production readiness reviews, integration activities, demonstrations, and cross-site implementation of scaling and affordability initiatives.

Benefits

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• 401(k)
• Educational assistance
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance programs and work/life solutions
• Paid time off
• Health and wellness resources
• Employee discounts
• Relocation assistance may be available
• Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus, depending on the position.
• Company-paid holidays and paid time off for vacation or personal business
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan

What This Job Offers

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