Director 2 - Operations

Northrop Grumman - Elkton, MD

Full-time - Senior

Elkton, MD

Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing

About the position

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 Defense Systems (DS) sector is seeking a Director 2 of Operations to lead the Production Operations Team for the Missile Products Business Unit. This position will be located at either the Elkton, Maryland or Rocket Center, West Virginia locations. The Operations Director is a senior-level leader with accountability to the DS Division Director of Operations. The candidate will have responsibility to ensure all operational aspects of the programs from material procurement to finished product delivery are properly planned and executed in accordance with the Program baseline/execution Plan. This includes establishing needs and driving delivery of Engineering products and support as required to support the program baseline/execution schedule. The ideal candidate should demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of manufacturing & production foundational processes, encompassing knowledge of product lifecycle management systems, engineering release procedures, cost center structuring, manufacturing execution systems, product configuration, traceability, and government approval procedures for sell-off. The candidate should possess the capability to strategically plan for the long term while also meticulously attending to near-term details. Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential for interacting with individuals across all levels of the organization, including counterparts from the customer side. Additionally, the candidate must exhibit strong leadership qualities, empowering their team even during challenging times.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Production Operations Team for the Missile Products Business Unit.
• Ensure all operational aspects of the programs from material procurement to finished product delivery are properly planned and executed.
• Establish needs and drive delivery of Engineering products and support as required to support the program baseline/execution schedule.
• Work in partnership with the Program Management Team and DS Functional Teams.
• Key member of the Leadership team to help create alignment with the division manufacturing & production strategy.
• Lead an Integrated Product Team (IPT) consisting of Segment Production Operations Managers, Manufacturing Engineering/Tooling, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, Master Production Scheduling, Manufacturing Simulations, and Operations Program Management disciplines.
• Lead program level MRA process, collaborating across the supplier and customer interface including reporting strategy and framework.
• Develop and execute long-range plans and strategies by managing to program plans and critical milestones deliverables.
• Responsible for product scheduling including first articles, long lead planning, build sequence planning, rate build-up plans, and rate readiness assessments.
• Coordinate accurate and executable resource plans, work plans, and associated visibility metrics aligned with the Integrated Master Schedule and Master Production Schedule.
• Develop production operations status and metrics on a regular basis and present to management and the customer, as applicable.
• Establish a mentorship and coaching culture including growing and strengthening the manufacturing & production leadership bench.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree with 12 years' experience (or 10 years with a Masters) in defense or aerospace systems and/or management in development or production projects.
• 3 or more years leading and/or managing teams on complex projects.
• Experience with DoD customers and/or partners.
• Must have an active and current DoD Secret clearance and be SAP clearable.
• Ability to obtain higher levels of security clearance, of which US citizenship is required.
• Ability to travel domestically, up to 25% of the time.

Nice-to-haves

• Master's degree in science, engineering, or relevant acumen (ex: Business, Leadership).
• 20 or more years of related experience.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with varying levels of leadership and employees in writing and presentations.
• 15 years of management experience in Functional Management, Engineering Management, Program Management or Operations Management.
• Understanding of basic Production Operations tools - planning, scheduling, MES, manpower planning, rate analysis, tooling.
• Demonstrated understanding of EVMS and Risk and Opportunity Management.
• IPT / PM experience across multiple phases of the program lifecycle.
• Excellent conflict management and negotiation skills.
• Production Line Management.
• Demonstrated strategic capture experience with federal government business and operations procurement activities.
• Active Top-Secret Clearance.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance may be available.