• Category: Program Management
• Location: Roy, Utah, United States of America Huntsville, Alabama, United States of America Manhattan Beach, California, United States of America Vandenberg AFB, California, United States of America
• Clearance Type: Secret
• Telecommute: No- Teleworking not available for this position
• Shift: 1st Shift (United States of America)
• Travel Required: Yes, 25 of the Time
• Relocation Assistance: Relocation assistance may be available
• Positions Available: 1

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems is seeking a Program Affordability Director.   This position will be located in Roy, Utah, Manhattan Beach, CA, Huntsville, AL, or Vandenberg CA and will support the Sentinel (GBSD) program.  This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package. 

The Sentinel program is seeking an experienced Affordability Program Manager with the background, vision, and leadership skills to create and lead the Affordability organization for the Sentinel program.  This position reports to the EMD Program Vice President, overseeing a cross-segment team that drives the cost containment and cost reduction initiatives for the program.  The Affordability director partners closely with the Lifecycle Cost Analysis team, Segment leadership, Business Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Strategy and Planning, Mission Assurance and the broader Segment teams, providing horizontal integration for all matters related to Affordability and Lifecycle Cost reduction across the Program. 

What you will get to do: 

As the Sentinel Affordability Director, you will be the technical and business leader across the program in all areas that drive cost – mitigating cost increases and driving cost down with specific targeted initiatives.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Create, establish, and lead the Affordability Team across the Sentinel program segments directing lower-level leaders on each of the Segments that drive cost.
• Create and maintain the program Affordability Management Plan and all process documents and Nimbus models necessary to establish and maintain Affordability on the program.
• Work closely with the Risk and Opportunity manager(s) and segment leads on the program to assure that Affordability initiatives are successfully tracked and managed as Opportunities on the program and driven to successful implementation.
• Work closely with Business Management and Cost Account Managers to assure that EVMS pressures are managed and mitigated with offsetting Opportunities to assure that ETC forecasts do not grow beyond acceptable limits that would not support Affordability targets.
• Define Design to Cost (DTC) targets for all of the major elements of cost down to WBS level 3, including IWO partners and Major Subcontractors.  Create metrics and reporting mechanisms to status performance against DTC targets and report status to senior program leadership.
• Create and lead Affordability rhythm meetings with program leadership to manage all aspects of Affordability and Lifecycle cost reduction.
• Establish metrics for overall program Affordability status as well has the status of individual projects in support of Affordability and report those metrics to senior leadership.
• Work closely with Sentinel program customers and brief them on Affordability status at technical interchange meetings.  It is anticipated that the customer will request regular status on Affordability and likely create a CDRL or other reporting requirement for Affordability; thus assure customer satisfaction in regard to Affordability.  If award fee is ever tied to such a metric, then assure the program captures as much as possible that is related to Affordability.
• Work closely with Manufacturing and Engineering for internally manufactured components to assure that designs are producible and affordable.  Support trade studies to improve manufacturability and reduce production and sustainment cost.
• Work closely with Global Supply Chain (GSC) to assure IWO partners and major subcontractors achieve DTC targets.  Assure that SMT Leads and Subcontract Managers are managing their respective suppliers to achieve DTC targets.  Strategize with GSC for program-wide initiatives that can improve buying power and create economies of scale including the use of Standard Parts and Right to Buy agreements for parts, materials, and subcomponents, including suppliers and IWO partners.
• Create tools for solicitation of Affordability ideas from employee across the entire Sentinel enterprise.  Lead the triage review of candidate ideas and then assure that ideas approved to move forward maintain plans for initiative cost and schedule.  Create tools and metrics to track and manage affordability ideas and initiatives.
• Create and help to administer a Sentinel program recognition effort to reward employees for coming forward with Affordability ideas.
• Support the Capture and the Strategy and Planning teams to capture customer funding for Affordability initiatives, preferably blocks of funding for baskets of initiatives.
• Ensure consistent and appropriate communication and messaging across the program enterprise – assure that leadership is conveying a consistent and supportive message about affordability.  Present the status of Affordability in periodic all-hands meetings with leadership.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for government Affordability and cost analysis experts.

 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 position’s 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 with 10 years of relevant experience
• 5+ years of leadership/program management experience
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across desperate organizations without direct organizational authority
• Active DoD Secret Clearance adjudicated in the last 6 years with ability to obtain SAP
• Experience working closely with Design Engineering, Manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain, preferably directly working in those organizations as a part of your career
• Experience working process improvement efforts to reduce cost, improve schedule, and/or improve first-time quality

These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have:

• Experience managing Affordability and/or Lifecycle cost analysis at prime or Major Subcontract level with $100M+ in annual contract value
• Experience working high volume production programs (more than 200 units over the program of record) with knowledge and understanding of Cost Improvement Curves and Continuous Process Improvement
• Six Sigma certified Green or Black belt; Lean and/or Kaizen initiative leadership
• Master’s degree in a STEM field or an MBA
• Experience with large (more than $100M/year) DoD-related procurement programs, especially with the US Air Force.

Sentinelleaderhip

Northrop 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 all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.