Director of Programs 1

The Payload and Ground Systems organization within the Northrop Grumman Space Systems pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!

The Northrop Grumman Space Systems Sector has an immediate opening in the Remote Sensing Programs (RSP) Business Unit in the Payload and Ground Systems Division (PGSD) for a Director 1, Space Security Solutions Director based in Rolling Meadows IL. This position will report to the Director of Space Security Programs OU.

The individual will be responsible for operating in a team environment supporting a number of space security programs. The individual will work as part of the program management team to:

• Manage and monitor the working of the various functional organizations supporting operating unit programs

• Ensure all projects are delivered on time, to budget and to the required quality standard. This includes detailed project planning and control, managing project scope and change control, and escalating issues where necessary

• Support the various internal and external program and pursuit reviews throughout the organization

• Lead the development of proposals

• Conduct regular meetings with team to discuss issues, concerns and resolution

• Partner with business development and business management to maximize investments to develop growth opportunities

• Closely coordinates with Quality and Mission Engineering, Security, IT and Facilities to ensure efficient support of the program

• Manage production the schedule and budgets, support earned value planning and reporting

The individual must be knowledgeable of the business acquisition process, restricted and DoD customers, program life cycle, manufacturing capabilities, scheduling techniques, continuous improvement strategies, manufacturing readiness assessments, compliance requirements and financial practices to execute cost and schedule objectives and implement strategic initiatives.

The Director I must also possess strong leadership abilities, excellent communications skills, and effective problem-solving capabilities. The individual will be responsible for recruiting and mentoring future leaders, training and skill development initiatives and promoting engagement and inclusion activities. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to influence up and down the chain of command is required, as is a proven track record of innovation, problem solving and career development. 

Basic qualifications required to be considered:

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in a manufacturing, engineering, operations, or program environment is required. Or 8 years of relevant experience. 14 years of experience in required lieu of a degree.

• 5+ years of direct people leadership experience is required

• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Top Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI approval/access.

• Experience developing proposals and managing program execution with a demonstrated ability to create, track and meet schedules

• Experience with the execution and cost management of programs

• Working knowledge of financial management including projects, process control and budgets

• Experience with managing large teams with various focus areas

• Must be a self-starter, have excellent written and oral communication skills, be highly collaborative, team oriented, have strong people leadership skills, and be able to effectively multi-task competing priorities and schedules across the BU 

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to function independently, meet deadlines and achieve commitments

• The ability to quickly respond to a variety of demands is essential

Preferred Qualifications:

• TS/SCI security clearance is highly preferred

• Master's degree in STEM related discipline or MBA

• A career history that demonstrates of progressive leadership experience in engineering, operations, program management, or related area

• A background in and understanding of manufacturing and or engineering processes, technologies, and programs 

• Experience in proposals, business development, acquisitions, and associated customer interactions

• Knowledge & experience in space businesses as well as a strong customer domain knowledge

• Experience supporting cross-sector initiatives and/or programs

• Work that crosses typical organizational, site, sector boundaries

• Continuous improvement and problem-solving tools and techniques

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.