Defense Research & Advanced Design Program Development ...

US CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION: YesRELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 50% of the TimeDescriptionJoin Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued and start contributing to our team of passionate professionals providing real-life solutions to our world''s biggest challenges. We take pride in creating purposeful work and allowing our employees to grow and achieve their goals every day by Defining Possible. With our competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, we have the right opportunities to fit your life and launch your career today.Northrop Grumman Aeronautics has an opening for a Defense Research & Advanced Design Program Development Manager. This person will need to be located near a Northrop Grumman facility within the D.C. metro area.This position, reporting to the Strategy & Business Development (S&BD) function, and supporting the Research & Advanced Design (R&AD) organization, will work with select customers to identify and pursue innovative technology development programs, create engagement strategies, and ultimately address USG customer needs and war-fighting challenges.The Manager, Defense R&AD Program Development will be the primary research and technology interface for Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems to a range of DoD organizations, with primary focus on Navy advanced development organizations (to include ONR, NRL, NIWC, NAWC) and on DARPA. Additionally, the Manager will support interaction with other US government entities to include OUSD(R&E), SYSCOMs, MAJCOMs, COCOMs, Joint Staff, and others. The individual selected for this role will rely on their outstanding personal credibility, built upon a combination of strong technical expertise and exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, to build and sustain trusted relationships with customer R&D Program Managers, technical staff, and organization leadership. The Manager will work intimately with these customers on a day-to-day basis, inform customers of R&AD''s capabilities, facilitate connections between customers and members of R&AD, and provide the R&AD organization robust customer and technology understanding in support of development and implementation of a coherent research strategy to enable long-term Northrop Grumman objectives and growth.The Defense R&AD Program Development Manager will work skillfully across US Government and Northrop Grumman organizations to interface daily with customers, coordinate and support customer engagements, develop and implement customer engagement strategies, and support technology planning. Specific supporting responsibilities will include developing and executing comprehensive strategies, technology gap assessments, competitive assessments, make/buy analysis, and resource planning. The Manager will flexibly respond to a wide range of strategic and tactical tasking from leadership in the R&AD organization and in the S&BD organization with consistently superb products, exceptional customer intimacy, and highly professional judgment.Basic Qualifications:* Bachelor''s degree with 9+ years related experience or Master''s degree and 7+ years experience* Prior experience in program management, either as a program manager or principal investigator* Strong understanding of DoD and other agencies'' strategic planning processes, user communities, technology transition paths, and customer trends* Ability to travel 25-50% of the time* Active DoD Secret clearancePreferred Qualifications:* STEM related degree* Basic understanding of relevant mission technologies, including Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Propulsion, Aerostructures, Survivability, Communications, Controls, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomy, and Thermal Management* Strong communication and interpersonal skills* Broad and deep relationships with and knowledge of Navy S&T stakeholders, portfolios, and priorities* Strong technical background, including Masters or PhD in Science, Engineering, or related technical discipline* Recent experience working with science and technology customers such as ONR, NRL, DARPA* Experience working with USN OPNAV, SYSCOMs, and OUSD(R&E)* Strong understanding of national strategy, military roles and missions, organization, enterprise processes and business contacts* Proven experience in the research & technology and advanced design aeronautics arenas* Proven ability to interact skillfully and diplomatically with colleagues and stakeholders* Proven experience developing and sustaining customer relationships to drive program results* Enthusiastic willingness to conduct customer engagement, strategy development, and other analyses and to quickly produce exceptional reports and presentations across a broad range of topics simultaneously* Active and Current DoD Top Secret and SCI Clearances.Salary Range: $155,400.00 - $233,200.00Employees may be eligible for 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 health and safety of our employees and their families is a top priority. The company encourages employees to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. U.S. Northrop Grumman employees may be required, in the future, to be vaccinated or have an approved disability/medical or religious accommodation, pursuant to future court decisions and/or government action on the currently stayed federal contractor vaccine mandate under Executive Order 14042 Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.

Created: 2026-03-07