Manufacturing Systems Engineering Manager 2 (20637 - 20634)

About the role

• RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
• CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes
• CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
• TRAVEL: Yes, 50% of the Time

About the role

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 Strategic Deterrent Systems (SDS) is seeking a Manufacturing Systems Engineering (MSE) Manager to co-lead Scaling & Affordability for the Test & Production Operations (TPO) business unit on missile programs transitioning from Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) into Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and Full-Rate Production (FRP).This position will be located in Roy, UT.

This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package.

What You’ll Get to Do

The Manufacturing Systems Engineering Manager 2 manages a segment of the program and a functional team, providing objective-oriented direction to a group of manufacturing systems engineers and related staff. The manager is responsible for cost, schedule, technical performance, and quality of MSE-owned work packages that enable production scaling and affordability for TPO.

The Manufacturing Systems Engineer function develops requirements, performs technical planning, manufacturing system development/integration, verification and validation, and evaluates cost (implementation, savings, return on investment) and implementation/program risk impacts. Manufacturing systems engineers follow projects through all manufacturing readiness level phases: concept development, design, fabrication/assembly/test at lab level, production-environment demonstration, full production operations implementation, and sustainment/maintenance/continuous improvement.

These projects focus on advanced and emerging manufacturing capabilities and digital technologies with the goal of improving overall production quality, span times/time-to-market, and reducing cost.

Leadership & Job Scope

• Manage a team of MSEs and technical staff, including direct supervision, performance feedback, staffing, development, and workload prioritization.
• Provide direction to subordinates in objective-oriented terms, based on general management guidelines and functional procedures.
• Oversee projects and tasks assigned to the organizational group; become directly involved when needed to meet schedules or resolve technical/operational issues.

Scaling & Transition to Production

• Co-lead the Scaling & Affordability strategy for TPO, ensuring that manufacturing systems and processes can support transition from EMD builds to LRIP and FRP rates.
• Lead transition-to-production activities for developed manufacturing systems into program and functional manufacturing spaces (production and test).
• Ensure that solutions are robust, repeatable, and scalable, with a strong presence on production and test shop floors to validate performance and resolve issues.

Manufacturing Systems Engineering & Lifecycle Execution

• Guide the team in developing manufacturing system requirements, architectures, and implementation plans that support rate increases, quality improvement, and affordability objectives.
• Ensure systemic conversion of requirements into design, implementation, and production validations, including verification/validation of new manufacturing capabilities.
• Manage MSE projects through all phases—concept to continuous improvement—while balancing technical performance, cost, and schedule.

Process Improvement & Affordability

• Lead and prioritize process improvement and affordability projects using structured methodologies (e.g., Lean/Six Sigma) to improve quality, reduce span time, and lower cost.
• Evaluate and track project cost, savings, and ROI; ensure that committed improvements are realized and sustained in production and test operations.
• Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing systems, data integrity, visibility, and flow to support higher rates and improved affordability.

Risk, Opportunity, and Performance Management

• Identify and mitigate manufacturing system risks (e.g., capacity constraints, process maturity, digital infrastructure gaps) and opportunities aligned to scaling objectives.
• Support cost and schedule risk analyses, tracking risk/opportunity items and mitigation plans tied to scaling and process-improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Program and Business Management on program performance, including cost, schedule, and quality metrics for MSE-owned scope; contribute to EVMS analyses as applicable.

Program / Proposal / Financial Responsibility

• Lead or support project technical proposals, SOW development, and estimating, ensuring clear scope, requirements, and BOEs for manufacturing systems work.
• Manage project cost and schedule through all phases, ensuring that assigned projects are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Recommend and implement modifications to operating procedures as needed to meet program and functional objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Liaison

• Function as an advisor to the unit regarding tasks, projects, and operations, becoming actively involved in daily operations only when needed to meet commitments or resolve complex problems.
• Serve as a primary liaison with internal stakeholders (Engineering, Test, Production Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, Quality, Business Management) and external customer representatives on scaling and manufacturing systems topics.
• Conduct briefings and participate in technical meetings with various management levels to communicate status, risks, mitigation plans, and results.

This position may require occasional travel to other Northrop Grumman sites and suppliers to support production readiness reviews, integration activities, demonstrations, and cross-site implementation of scaling and affordability initiatives.

As a full-time employee of Northrop Grumman Defense Systems, you are eligible for our robust benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401k
• Educational Assistance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programs & Work/Life Solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness Resources
• Employee Discounts

This positions standard work schedule is a 9/80. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.

You’ll Bring These Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with 8 years of combined technical and leadership experience in engineering, aviation, systems engineering, aerospace, or manufacturing/production; OR Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 6 years of combined technical and leadership experience in engineering, aviation, systems engineering, aerospace, or manufacturing/production.
• Experience leading an engineering team, technical team, project, or integrated product team. (2 years)
• Experience with project/program management, including proposal support, scheduling, budget tracking, and execution. (2 years)
• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Secret security clearance at time of application, current and within scope, with an ability to obtain and maintain Special Access Program (SAP) approval within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business need
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time

These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have

• Proven leadership of cross-functional IPTs and coordination with key stakeholders and customers (e.g., U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy) across multiple lifecycle phases, including EMD, LRIP, and FRP.
• Demonstrated success leading transition-to-production and rate-readiness efforts, including process development, process control implementation, and maturation of manufacturing processes to support rate increases and high-volume production.
• Experience managing direct reports, including employee development, performance feedback, staffing, and workload prioritization in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong background in systems engineering and manufacturing processes, with the ability to translate system-level and stakeholder requirements into producible, affordable designs and executable work instructions.
• Experience with production scaling and affordability initiatives, including cost-reduction projects, design-for-manufacturability/producibility, and cycle-time reduction efforts.
• Hands-on experience on production shop floors, working directly with manufacturing operations, technicians, and support functions to solve issues, drive throughput, and support increasing delivery rates.
• Experience leading or contributing to process improvement efforts using structured methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma); Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with risk and opportunity management, including identification, analysis, mitigation planning, and execution for production and transition-to-rate activities.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVMS) or similar program performance management frameworks, including schedule and cost performance analysis and variance/corrective action management.
• Experience supporting proposals and early lifecycle program activities, including affordability, producibility, rate-readiness, and manufacturing risk assessments.
• Demonstrated leadership in high-tempo production environments with increasing build rates, aggressive schedules, evolving configurations, and competing priorities.
• Strong technical communication and technical writing skills, including preparation of plans, procedures, risk/affordability assessments, and technical reviews for leadership and customers.

Primary Level Salary Range

$139,100.00 - $208,700.00

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.