Army Veteran Works for Northrop Grumman to Help Save Soldiers’ Lives
All In
Sharif Faruque's journey from immigrant to dual-career professional.
By Suzanne Kubler
Sharif Faruque was just 14 years old when he moved to the United States from Bangladesh. Fast-forward several decades, and he now balances two careers supporting the U.S. military.
Sharif has worked for Northrop Grumman for 20 years and currently serves as a systems engineering architect manager in Rancho Bernardo, California. At the same time, he has dedicated 26 years as a U.S. Army reservist, with deployments to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Recently, Sharif’s expertise earned him a prestigious Pentagon assignment, where he used his digital engineering skills to support senior military leaders. The accomplishment reflects the same discipline and drive instilled in him from a young age.
“I had a strict mom who valued discipline, led by example, and always pushed to make excellence a habit rather than an act,” he said.
Sharif served 26 years as a U.S. Army reservist.
A Path Less Traveled
Growing up, engineering was a natural choice for Sharif, who excelled in math and science and was inspired by his cultural background, family and societal expectations. However, his decision to join the military was much less conventional, he said.
“Dual careers in engineering and military service aren’t common in my community,” Sharif said. “But I’ve always thrown myself into the unknown. I hope I have paved the way for others.”
Sharif’s most recent military mobilization was a seven-month assignment to the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center in Virginia. There, he served in the Joint Staff as Deputy Team Chief.
One of Sharif’s key assignments involved compiling daily updates for the general and his support staff. Recognizing inefficiencies in the manual process of assembling lengthy briefs, Sharif applied his digital engineering expertise from Northrop Grumman to streamline the system. By digitizing this critical reporting process, he increased accessibility and saved the team dozens of hours each week.
“I was able to implement the tool in support of the President of the United States and other leaders,” said Sharif. “The fact that I was able to create a more efficient process — I’m really proud of that.”
His contributions earned him a Joint Service Commendation Medal, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, and an Armed Forces Service Medal.
“The Joint Strategic level assignment enabled me to grow quickly and apply my thinking on a broader scale,” said Sharif. “It was such a great opportunity.”
A Tale of Two Careers
Sharif’s digital mindset also drives innovation at Northrop Grumman. As a leader in digital engineering, he has developed automated Model Based Systems Engineering processes, saving the company hundreds of engineering hours and earning eight innovation awards.
“It pushes me harder. A sense of urgency, efficiency and effectiveness — that’s what inspires me,” said Sharif. “I want to continue to move Northrop Grumman to further embrace digital engineering.”
Balancing his military and civilian careers, along with family responsibilities, is not without challenges, especially with extended family living far away. However, Sharif said these constraints force him to adapt and better manage his time.
He also credits Northrop Grumman for its strong support of employees serving in the military, including pay and differential benefits during deployments and the moral support of colleagues and leadership.
“That support has helped lessen the burden on my family when I go away, and I am really grateful for that,” said Sharif. “I have to admit, I find it fun to give back — I’m all in.”
Life at Northrop Grumman
Your work at Northrop Grumman makes a difference. Whether you want to design next-generation aircraft, harness digital technologies or build spacecraft that will return humanity to the moon, you’ll contribute to technology that’s transforming the world. Check out our career opportunities to see how you can help define possible.
