RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
CLEARANCE TYPE: Top Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time
DescriptionNorthrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Department Manager, Program Planning 3 to lead the (Restricted Program ADD) Technical Publications organization in Product Support (PS). This role reports to the PS Engineering Integration & Execution (EI&E) leader on the (Restricted Program ADD) program. This leadership role is located on-site, based at one of the following locations Palmdale, CA, or Rancho Barnardo, CA.The Department Manager provides leadership and oversight for the development, sustainment, and integration of logistics elements across a project, with primary expertise in Technical Data. This role ensures program objectives for Product Support are achieved by coordinating across engineering, operations, and sustainment disciplines, while providing functional oversight and governance of logistics requirements.
This position will partner closely with PS EI&E to monitor technical, cost, and schedule commitments through effective alignment of staffing, execution processes, and disciplined use of engineering tools. The Department Manager forecasts staffing needs on a rolling 12-month cycle, ensures staffing requirements are entered into POST, and ensures talent is deployed, transitioned, and onboarded in sync with program demand. While the Department Manager's primary responsibility is meeting the talent needs of their assigned disciplines, this position must also maintain visibility across the division and sector to enable proactive redeployment and optimize overall workforce utilization-ensuring programs remain cost-effective and aligned with affordability goals.
This leader plays a critical role in aligning functional capabilities with program needs, enabling successful execution across cost, schedule, quality, and technical performance.
Key ResponsibilitiesPeople Leadership & Talent Management- Lead program-level planning, execution, and oversight of Technical Data development, ensuring compliance with program and customer requirements
- Provide working-level oversight and coordination across all logistics elements, including:
- Reliability, Maintainability, and Testability (RM&T)
- Supportability Engineering and Life Cycle Sustainment Planning
- Technical Publications and Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs)
- Provisioning, Spares, and Repairs Management
- Support Equipment Design and Integration
- Lead all aspects of personnel management, including workforce planning, hiring, retention, engagement, redeployment, and succession planning.
- Partner closely with program leadership, HR, and functional peers to align talent to current and future program needs.
- Support staffing for section manager and senior technical roles, including requisition development, interview facilitation, onboarding, and mentoring.
- Foster a culture of engagement, collaboration, accountability/ownership, and belonging by modeling Northrop Grumman leadership behaviors: Sets a vision, builds a high performing team, takes ownership, leads with courage, responds to challenges with resilience and acts with speed
- Conduct performance management activities, including goal setting, quarterly connections, leadership development, and knowledge sharing activities.
Execution & Operational Leadership- Drive day-to-day execution of departmental activities in support of program objectives.
- Serve as Delegation of Authority (DOA) in the absence of the Department Manager and/or EI&E leadership, as required.
- Ensure consistent application of functional engineering processes, tools, and best practices in alignment with the PS Center of Technical Excellence.
- Serve as the customer facing logistics representative for program reviews, audits, and sustainment planning activities
- Mentor Product Support staff and provide guidance on professional development and technical growth.
- Partner across functions to support cross-discipline and intra-discipline integration activities, data analysis, metrics development, and performance reporting in coordination with Strategy, Integration, and Operations.
Technical & Program Oversight- Ensure logistics considerations are integrated into system engineering processes, design reviews, and program decisions
- Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations
- System Engineering Technical Reviews (SETRs), such as System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs);Flight Readiness Reviews (FRR).
- Process audits and Independent Review Team (IRT) engagements
- Collaborate with engineering and supply chain teams to align logistics requirements with design and sustainment strategies
- Develop, monitor, and report program metrics related to training, logistics performance, and sustainment readiness
- Support long-range strategic planning efforts and execute special assignments as required.
Basic Qualifications:- Must have a Bachelor's degree and 9 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master's degree and 7 years of related engineering experience.
- Minimum 6 years of Product Support or DoD Logistics leadership/management experience in an integrated product team environment.
- Familiarization and working knowledge of all twelve Product Support Technical Disciplines.
- Must possess an active DoD Top Secret clearance that is in scope or currently enrolled in continuous evaluation, with the ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret/SCI and Special Access Program (SAP) access as determined by business needs
- Experience in leading, mentoring, and developing multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver complex technical solutions, within cost and schedule constraints, across the various phases of the engineering lifecycle.
- Demonstrated capability in workforce and resource planning, including allocating resources across programs, managing workloads and priorities, forecasting staffing needs, and executing end-to-end hiring decisions.
- Strong leadership, interpersonal, and written/oral communication skills, enabling effective engagement with cross-functional stakeholders and customers.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's or Ph.D. in Engineering or a related field.
- Current TS/SCI and SAP clearances
- Prior people leadership experience of large teams (75+).
- Experience in utilizing the NAVAIR or Technical Order Maintenance Manuals
- Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, specifications, and system description documents.
- Experience in or engaging with the DoD Logistics / Sustainment / MRO customer community.
- Demonstrated experience applying performance management process and HR policies, including goal setting, performance feedback, development planning, and addressing performance concerns in accordance with company policy.
- Experience with Earned Value Management Techniques (EVMS) / Control Account Management (CAM), Integrated Master Schedules (IMS), Basis of Estimates (BOEs) and cost-schedule-risk trade off management.
- Experience with the System Engineering Technical Review process (SRR, PDR, CDR and TRR)
- Experience identifying, developing, and managing performance metrics to support program and technical execution monitoring and control.
- Proven expertise in technical planning, risk & opportunity management, and driving project performance across cost, schedule, and technical quality.
- Experience with digital transformation-based initiatives, like Model Based Sustainment, in the area of product support including interfacing with government systems.
- Experience engaging with the DoD Logistics; Sustainment; Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) customer community and/or supporting military aircraft missions.
Primary Level Salary Range: $175,400.00 - $263,200.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
