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Posted July 02, 2026
Northrop Grumman

Program Director 1 - R10238398

San Diego, CA, US Full Time
$224300 - $336500
Reference: R10238398

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems Sector has an opening for a Program Director 1 to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within Triton program. This on-site leadership role is located in San Diego, California.

This Program Director 1 position will serve as the Triton Development Deputy Program Director, reporting to the Triton Development Program Director. This is a leadership position with regular executive and customer interactions. The selected candidate will display consistent impeccable judgment and embody Northrop Grumman leadership behaviors. The selected candidate should thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative/team settings across all levels.

Key Responsibilities include:  

  • Direct all phases of the Development portfolio from inception through completion at the direction of Development Program Director

  • Assist in overseeing the preparation of proposals, business plans and financial terms/conditions of contract

  • Effectively coordinate across multiple program IPTs to manage program execution

  • Lead a team of technical team members to deliver program, cost and technical milestones

  • Direct the work of employees assigned to business area and oversee the work performed by suppliers in accordance with the objectives of the Development Program Director

  • Actively manage Risk, Issues & Opportunities to ensure program execution success 

  • Partners with functional disciplines to define and integrate expertise into the team 

  • Define, negotiate, monitor & track performance of suppliers; manage change and ensure performance to plan 

  • Deliver financial results in alignment with the annual operating plan (AOP)

A successful candidate for this role will have:

  • Demonstrated ability to execute in complex development programs

  • Excellent interpersonal skills, a collaborative management style, and an inherent drive to deliver on commitments

  • Ability to drive change and deliver results in a challenging environment

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others. 

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of related experience OR Master’s degree and 8 years of related experience as defined below

  • Related experience includes engineering and management or business leadership of development programs

  • Minimum of 3 years of experience in program or project leadership roles

  • Demonstrated experience leading the performance of tasks on schedule, at cost and achieving all requirements as either project lead, integrated program team or cost account manager

  • Demonstrated success leading teams and/or organizations to achieve a common goal

  • Active U.S Government Secret or higher clearance

  • Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) discipline

  • Ability to obtain and maintain a special access program (SAP) within a reasonable period of time as determined by the needs of the business

  • Active U.S Government Top Secret/SCI clearance (with a background investigation completed within the last 6 years or currently enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)

  • Experience leading a team in a matrixed environment to achieve program goals

  • Responsibility for profit and loss with U.S. Military customers in the execution of cost-type and fixed price contracts

Primary Level Salary Range: $224,300.00 - $336,500.00

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.

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