Director of Engineering II

Employer description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

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 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 - $346,700.00

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. 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.