Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Senior Director of Engineering to lead the Engineering function for the Armament Systems Business Unit (AS BU) in Plymouth, MN. Reporting to the Weapon Systems Division Engineering Director and matrixed to the BU Vice President, this role is instrumental in shaping the vision, strategy, and growth of the organization while fostering a culture of execution excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
The Senior Director of Engineering provides overall leadership to the ASBU Engineering team, which is responsible for all aspects of systems engineering, integration, and test; system design and development activities; as well as production/product engineering support for the Armament Systems business unit products.
Key Responsibilities:
Oversee engineering execution across the Armament Systems (AS) portfolio
Lead and develop a cohesive engineering organization aligned with the unit’s strategic goals
Drive innovation and best practices, leveraging digital engineering advancements and corporate-wide expertise
Provide guidance and mentorship to senior engineering leadership, fostering talent engagement and career development
Execute workforce planning, including recruiting, retention, talent management, and competency development
Identify and develop new engineering capabilities to support future business opportunities
Ensure adequate staffing, tools, processes, and infrastructure to support both current execution and business growth
Define and implement clear engineering processes, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure successful program execution
Establish strong partnerships between Engineering, Program Management, Global Supply Chain, Mission Assurance/Quality Assurance, and Operations to enhance efficiency and delivery
Provide technical leadership in identifying and mitigating risks while serving as the top escalation point for engineering concerns
Drive technology advancements to enhance business objectives and competitive positioning
Support business development efforts, contributing technical expertise to capture and execution strategies
Foster cross-functional collaboration across business units, divisions, and sectors to achieve strategic goals
Basic Qualifications:
20+ years of professional experience (BS); 18+ years (MS); 15+ years (PhD)
15+ years of leadership experience in functional management, program management, or technical leadership within the aerospace/defense industry
Aerospace/Munitions/Armaments systems background
Proven ability to set strategic direction, establish priorities, and drive accountability
Experience building and leading high-performing engineering teams
Expertise in product development, technology roadmaps, and strategic technology execution
Strong critical thinking, decision-making, and priority-setting skills
Demonstrated ability to engage and influence stakeholders, including senior executives and cross-functional teams
Experience presenting to C-suite and senior leadership
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Current active Secret or Top Secret clearance
Most recent clearance investigation, or admittance into the Continuous Evaluation Program (CEP), within the last 5 years
Ability to obtain SAP accesses
Preferred Qualifications:
Understanding of munitions/armaments/missile systems
Background in implementing and managing large-scale programs and managing many diverse programs simultaneously
Experience leading programs with complex engineering challenges
With annual revenues of nearly 1.4 billion dollars, 1000 plus employees, and operations in 4 states, Armament Systems is growing and has many opportunities. ASBU mission is to create superior products to enable customers to accomplish their mission — whether it’s a technological breakthrough, or protecting our nation with legacy/proven products. Armament system is world leading supplier of many defense products such medium caliber ammunition and guns, large caliber tank ammunition, the precision guidance kit for artillery ammunition, terrain shaping obstacles, proximity ammunition for defeating unmanned aerial systems, and much more.
Primary Level Salary Range: $231,100.00 - $346,700.00The 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. For our complete EEO 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.