Architecture Operations and Enablement Lead

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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.

At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and secure technological solutions to enable strategic objectives. We’re looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we will support yours by expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman, you will have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.

Northrop Grumman’s Corporate Sector Chief Information & Digital Office (CIDO) is seeking a Staff Computer Systems Architect to serve as the Architecture Operations and Enablement Lead, establishing and running the operating model for the enterprise architecture function within the Strategy & Architecture team of the Governance & Strategy organization.

This role will serve as the practice operations lead for architecture governance, review coordination, methods, standards lifecycle, metrics, communications, intake, onboarding, and knowledge enablement across the architecture organization. 

This role is aligned to the target architecture operating model in which the Head of Strategy and Architecture, reporting through Governance & Strategy, leads the broader architecture function through the Chief Enterprise Architect and a strong-core architecture team that includes business, data, application, technology, security, and architecture operations & enablement lanes. The Architecture Operations and Enablement Lead is responsible for helping that team operate as one coherent practice by creating repeatable ways of working, improving visibility into architecture work, and enabling effective execution of governance, decision-support, accountability, and practice-health processes. 

The successful candidate will: 

• define and operate architecture governance workflows, review cadences, and intake processes; 

• coordinate architecture standards, methods, templates, and practice artifacts across the enterprise architecture team; 

• establish and track architecture practice metrics, health scorecards, and reporting to improve visibility, accountability, and continuous improvement; 

• support onboarding, communications, training, and knowledge-sharing across the architecture population; and 

• Support the Head of Strategy & Architecture and domain leads maintain an effective, disciplined, and scalable architecture operating model within Governance & Strategy. 

This position will be available as a virtual telecommuter, however, the incumbent most be within 90 miles of a major Northrop Grumman location for ad hoc onsite meetings.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Serve as the Architecture Operations and Enablement Lead for the enterprise architecture function. 

• Define and maintain architecture governance processes, review workflows, decision tracking, and operating cadences. 

• Coordinate architecture intake, review scheduling, action tracking, communications, and follow-through across architecture forums and working sessions. 

• Develop and maintain architecture methods, templates, standards governance processes, and repository discipline for architecture artifacts. 

• Define, implement, and track architecture practice metrics and dashboards, including measures of review throughput, standards adoption, decision closure, artifact quality, and practice health. 

• Partner with the architecture leads to improve consistency in how architecture work is initiated, reviewed, governed, and communicated. 

• Support architecture onboarding, training, community-of-practice activities, and knowledge transfer across enterprise, business capability, solution, and system architects. 

• Help surface process friction, governance bottlenecks, and operating-model gaps and recommend improvements that increase clarity, speed, and effectiveness. 

• Lead or participate in architecture governance boards, methods reviews, standards lifecycle activities, and cross-functional planning sessions. 

• Provide coordination and operational support for executive-facing architecture reporting, status visibility, and presentation readiness. 

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business Analytics, or related technical discipline and 12+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 10+ years, or PhD with 8+ year. 
• Candidates must have the ability to obtain, and maintain, a U.S. Government Secret level security clearance as a condition of continued employment.

• Demonstrated experience in enterprise architecture governance, architecture operations, technical program coordination, practice enablement, or a closely related discipline. 

• Experience defining or operating repeatable processes, workflows, standards discipline, review boards, or operating cadences in a technical organization. 

• Experience working across multiple stakeholders, teams, or technical domains to improve coordination and execution. 

• Strong communication, facilitation, organization, and follow-through skills. 

• Ability to translate architectural intent into practical methods, routines, templates, measures, and governance mechanisms. 

• Experience using metrics, reporting, or operational dashboards to improve technical or organizational performance. 

• Knowledge of Architecture Frameworks such as TOGAF ADM, DoDAF/UAF, Zachman, or equivalent. 

• Awareness and understanding of DevSecOps.  

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience supporting or maturing an Architecture practice, chief engineer organization, engineering governance function, or comparable technical center of excellence. 

• Experience in defense, aerospace, federal, or other regulated environments. 

• Experience supporting design reviews, technical review boards, standards lifecycle processes, or architecture repositories. 

• Familiarity with enterprise architecture methods, systems engineering governance, or software delivery governance practices. 

• Experience creating training, onboarding, communications, or knowledge-management approaches for technical communities. 

• Ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leaders. 

We offer flexible work arrangements, phenomenal learning opportunities, exposure to a wide variety of projects and customers, and a very friendly team environment.  At Northrop Grumman, we are on the cutting edge of innovation.  Our diverse portfolio of programs means there are endless paths to cultivating your career.  We also offer exceptional benefits/healthcare, a 9/80 work schedule option, and a great 401k matching program. Come join us!

Primary Level Salary Range: $161,000.00 - $241,400.00

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