Launch and Mission Operations Manager 3 – TS/SCI Clearance (Space/Satellite Systems)

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Launch and Mission Operations Manager (M3)

Essential Functions:

This position is for a full-time senior-level management role in Dulles, VA or El Segundo, CA.  The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Lead a diverse team of up to 40 engineers/operators

• Provide mission operations support to NGSS Satellite programs

• Support system development activities such as requirements management, architecture development, integration and test and formal program milestones

• Work with systems engineers to develop operational documentation for use during on-orbit checkout and commissioning of satellites

• Support mission readiness activities including mission rehearsals, mission timeline development, and post launch test development

• Support launch, including occasional shift work, for spacecraft and payload on-orbit activities; support anomaly resolution efforts

• Provide status reporting through both the functional and program reporting branches

• Maintain standards associated with the established Integrated/Developmental Operations functional group processes; work closely with functional leadership

• Provide mentoring and guidance to the mission operations team

• Lead internal and external customer meetings through proficient verbal and documented (MS PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel) communications

• Interface regularly with high level program and customer personnel to communicate program and technical status

• Ensure staffing levels are appropriate for scope of work and ensure personnel are trained and certified as necessary

• May require occasional shift work and travel ~ 20% of the time for customer and program meetings and operations events

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering or related discipline with 15+ years experience

• Current Active Security Clearance (TS/SCI)

• U.S. citizen

• Experience managing a complex program cost and schedule

• Ability to work within, task, and manage a group of diversified individuals with varying backgrounds to achieve mission success

• Experience with test campaigns and spacecraft operations

• Prior experience conducting on-orbit mission operations and resolving satellite and ground system anomalies.

• Support of readiness activities to include; Mission Readiness Tests (MRTs), Mission Rehearsals (MRs), Day In The Life (DITL) and daily operations testing

• Experience writing technical documents for external customers

• Experience with cost and schedule management of a technical baseline using Earned Value Management (EVMS) principles

• Outstanding verbal and written communications skills, including ability to make persuasive presentations to external customers at milestone reviews

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS degree with 20+ years experience

• Experience working on government systems and/or government process environment

• Prior experience with either the Northrop Grumman ESPAStar or ESPASat satellite platforms.

• Familiarity with mission operations and customer organizations in Colorado Springs, CO or Los Angeles, CA

• Prior experience with virtualized deployment of LINUX based ground control software onto a ground system infrastructure

• Experience with MAESTRO or RAPTOR command and control software

This position reports to Dulles, VA, USA, however, this position can also be worked from El Segundo, CA, CA, USA.

Salary Range: $176,000 USD - $257,000 USD

Employees may be eligible for 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 health and safety of our employees and their families is a top priority. The company encourages employees to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. U.S. Northrop Grumman employees may be required, in the future, to be vaccinated or have an approved disability/medical or religious accommodation, pursuant to future court decisions and/or government action on the currently stayed federal contractor vaccine mandate under Executive Order 14042 https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/contractors/.

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 most positions.