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.

The Northrop Grumman Employee Communications team seeks a creative and strategic Manager Communications 2 of Defense Systems Employee Communications to serve as a leader in internal communications. In this role, you will develop and execute communication strategies that engage and inform employees across the sector while ensuring alignment with business and function priorities.

This position reports to the senior manager of Employee Communications and is based in McLean, Va. This is not a remote position.

This is a fast-paced, high-impact role for a strong communicator who thrives in complex environments that require both strategic thinking and rapid execution. Acting as the connective tissue across the team and broader organization, this leader will ensure priorities, stakeholders and work streams remain aligned, coordinated and moving forward. The ideal candidate excels at quickly synthesizing information, connecting disparate efforts and translating ideas into action while driving meaningful employee engagement and alignment.

The manager serves as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders, helping translate business priorities into effective communication strategies and measurable outcomes. They are equally comfortable operating at a strategic level and diving into the details required to drive execution, demonstrating urgency for action, exceptional responsiveness and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.

Success in this role requires a highly collaborative leader who builds strong partnerships across the employee communications center of practice and broader communications organization to drive alignment, consistency and shared ownership. The ideal candidate is a skilled people leader with a track record of developing high performing teams, while proactively identifying interdependencies, removing obstacles and creating clarity across multiple initiatives and stakeholders.

In this role, you’ll:

Drive the development and implementation of integrated communication strategies to support sector employee communications.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, providing strategic communication counsel and support.
Oversee key internal channels – including digital, live events, and internal media platforms – driving a regular drumbeat of creative, fresh content that aligns with the organization’s business and people objectives and effectively reaches internal audiences.
Interpret and share business initiatives in a simple, compelling way for diverse audiences across the sector.
Oversee a team of communication professionals, fostering a high-performing team within a collaborative environment.
Craft compelling messaging and narratives that connect employees to the company’s mission, strategy, and values.
Drive the creation of internal communication materials, including executive messaging, presentations, talking points, and storytelling content.
Serve as an organizational integrator, connecting priorities, stakeholders and workstreams to ensure coordinated execution.
Partner cross-functionally to ensure seamless communication efforts that drive employee engagement and business alignment.
Balance speed with quality, moving initiatives forward while maintaining attention to detail and helping prioritize efforts that focus resources on the highest-impact work.
Oversee the development and implementation of strategies to communicate to employees in hard-to-reach and classified areas.
Measure the impact of communication strategies and continuously refine approaches based on data and feedback.

You’ll be a great fit if you have:

Are a stellar project manager who lives by prioritization and attention to detail and thrives in fast-paced environments where a typical day has you juggling multiple workstreams simultaneously, reprioritizing quickly and meeting deadlines.

Can see both the big picture and the tactic details required to achieve results.
Have a proven track record of developing, implementing and measuring successful communications plans in collaboration with cross-function teams.

Are a strong writer, with excellent editing skills and an enthusiasm for telling inspirational stories that promote a company’s culture and values.
Are enthusiastic about leading a team and empowering, motivating and developing them.  
Exceptional at organizing workstreams, establishing processes and tracking execution across multiple initiatives.
Are poised and approachable with strong business acumen and experience in positively handling communications issues, demonstrating sound judgment and persuasive counseling to your team and to senior management.

Basic Qualifications

Manager 2 – Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Marketing or a related field and a minimum of 8 years of experience, or a Master's degree in prior fields and 6 years of experience. An additional four years of experience is able to be considered in lieu of degree.
Proven track record developing and executing successful and innovative integrated communications strategies with proven business results.
Demonstrated leadership success with business driven, complex communications projects.
Excellent executive-level communications skills and presence.
Strategic systems-level thinking, interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to manage schedules and executive support.
Track record of successfully leading high-performing teams of direct and matrixed employees including team members located in multiple locations.
Management of multiple projects and priorities while meeting schedule, budget, and quality requirements.
Proven track record for anticipating needs, proactively advancing initiatives and driving momentum across competing priorities.

Experience in employee or executive communications.
Experience in media relations, social media and integrated communications is a plus.
Experience working with senior executives and senior leadership teams.
Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop a high-performing team.
Exceptional writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex topics into clear, engaging content.
Understanding of AP writing style.

Preferred Qualifications

Communications and leadership experience with large, complex organizations.
Experience with communications tools including website content management systems such as SharePoint and other digital communications tools such as Teams.
Ability to multi-task and prioritize competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Experience working in the Defense industry is a plus.
Experience producing omni-channel content.

Why Join Northrop Grumman?

This is an opportunity to shape the way we connect with and engage employees across the enterprise. If you are a strategic, forward-thinking communicator with a passion for impactful storytelling and leadership, we would love to hear from you!

Apply today to be part of a team that drives meaningful employee engagement and business impact.

Primary Level Salary Range: $133,100.00 - $199,700.00

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,

Manager Communications 2

About the role

Description