Director of Programs 2 – Flight Test Operations & Aircraft Modification

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time

Description

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.

Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems Sector is seeking a Director of Programs 2 – Flight Test Operations & Aircraft Modification for a large-scale program located in Palmdale, CA. The position reports directly to the Vice President of Development Programs and plays a leadership role in successful flight test performance.

The ideal candidate thrives on leading multidisciplined teams, navigating internal processes, communicating with customers, creating a work environment that engages employees and bringing clarity and clear direction to ambiguous situations.

The selected leader will be responsible for driving timely execution of Flight Test Operations & Aircraft Modifications program.  Primary duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Program Management & Leadership - own the end‑to‑end flight‑test execution and aircraft modification plan.  Lead the program team to ensure successful Flight Test Operations within cost, schedule, and technical performance.  Serve as the NG site leader working directly with the customer to maintain transparent communication and expectation management.

Daily Rhythm & Cost Management - run the daily rhythm meetings, maintain rigorous cost management discipline, and provide accurate estimates to complete (ETC). Develop cost baselines, allocate budgets, manage performance, and ensure corrective actions are implemented to meet cost targets.  Ensure the master schedule identify critical path items and proactively resolve bottlenecks. Work with integrated product teams (IPT) and USG leadership teams to drive test efficiencies and capture test schedule opportunities, resulting in on-time program completion

Flight‑Test Execution - oversee flight test preparation, aircraft readiness, test‑equipment integration, and safety.  Collaborate with functional teams to coordinate test pilots, engineers, technicians, and program support teams to conduct test flights, data acquisition, and post‑flight analyses.

Technical & Regulatory Compliance - partner with stakeholders to ensure all test activities meet applicable aviation regulations (FAA, EASA, military specifications) and internal safety and quality standards.  Review and approve test plans, risk assessments, and modification proposals for technical feasibility.

Change Management - lead the Flight Test Operations change management process, evaluate change requests, assess impact on cost/schedule/technical performance, and collaborate with stakeholders for approvals and ensure traceability of all changes. Ensure the team fully understands contract scope and follows formal change control processes for all modifications.

Risk, Issue & Opportunity Management - conduct systematic risk assessments, develop mitigation plans, and track opportunity realization.  Identify, prioritize, and mitigate risks; resolve issues, capture and realize opportunities to protect schedule and cost.  

Stakeholder Management – establish and maintain strong customer relationships to enable effective flight test execution and collaboration.  Facilitate cross‑functional meetings and foster a safety‑first culture that promotes continuous learning initiatives.

Baseline & Earned Value Management - enforce adherence to program, business, and technical baselines; utilize Earned Value Management (EVM) to manage cost schedule performance.

Communication & Culture - drive timely decision making, communicate outcomes clearly across the program, and foster a culture of ownership and joint accountability.

This position will have a standard work schedule of 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 10 years (or Bachelor of Science in STEM and 9 years) of program management experience as defined below, OR a master’s degree and 8 years (or Master of Science in STEM and 7 years) of program or management experience as defined below.
• Related experience includes management and/or military program leadership experience to include a background in program management, engineering, production, or aircraft manufacturing.
• Formal people‑leadership experience (team lead, manager or equivalent) in a program‑oriented environment
• Experience with control‑account‑management (CAM) frameworks and baseline‐integrity for sustainment labor pools
• Experience with cost‑modeling, Earned‑Value Management (EVM), and Total‑Cost‑Management (TCM) techniques
• Active DoD Secret Clearance (or higher) last investigated within 6 years or enrolled in continuous evaluation and the ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS or MBA degree
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing or production program management specific roles
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in process in research & development, process maturation or product life cycle development in both EMD and Production Programs
• Demonstrated experience developing, communicating, and implementing new processes for flight test operation
• Previous flight test execution experience or pilot
• Expertise with enterprise‑wide schedule‑integration and cost‑analysis tools
• Experience with CAM structures, including budget authority, funding allocation, and periodic performance reviews
• Demonstrated ability to drive Return‑to‑Green (RTG) plans and manage program rhythm (monthly/quarterly performance reviews, variance analysis, corrective‑action tracking)
• Strong stakeholder‑engagement skills – track record of building trusted relationships with senior DoD customers, internal acquisition teams, suppliers, and finance partners
• Current Special Program Access (PAR)
• Proven record of risk/opportunity identification, assessment and mitigation in a multi‑discrete‑team setting

Primary Level Salary Range: $266,300.00 - $399,500.00

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.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity 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