Manufacturing Engineering Director

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% 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.

The Director, Manufacturing Engineering provides functional and strategic leadership for the manufacturing engineering organization, accountable for process capability, producibility, and product quality across production programs. This role leads a team of managers and engineers responsible for developing, deploying, and continuously improving manufacturing, test, and related industrial engineering processes to meet safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people objectives in Baltimore, MD.

Key Responsibilities

• Functional & People Leadership
  • Lead and develop a high‑performing manufacturing engineering organization, including managers, engineers, and supporting staff.
  • Define and maintain functional standards, methods, tools, and best practices for manufacturing engineering across the site or business.
  • Recruit, develop, and retain talent; drive succession planning, leadership development, and engagement/inclusion activities.
  • Provide regular coaching, performance feedback, and career development for managers and engineers.

• Manufacturing Engineering Ownership
  • Own manufacturing engineering processes from new product introduction through sustainment, ensuring robust process controls, standard work, and documented work instructions.
  • Direct the creation and maintenance of MBOMs, routings, work instructions, tooling, and strategies that enable safe, efficient, and high‑quality production.
  • Drive producibility into designs by partnering with Design Engineering early in the lifecycle; ensure effective transition to production and rate readiness.
  • Establish and manage key performance indicators (yields, scrap, rework, cycle time, labor efficiency) and drive continuous improvement using data‑driven methods.

• Operations, Quality, and Continuous Improvement
  • Partner closely with Operations, Quality & Mission Excellence, and Supply Chain to ensure stable processes and timely resolution of production issues.
  • Oversee manufacturing engineering participation in MRB and nonconformance disposition; ensure effective root‑cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions.
  • Champion initiatives to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
  • Lead manufacturing engineering support to factory readiness, capacity planning, and rate ramp‑ups.

• Program, Financial, and Strategic Management
  • Align functional objectives, resources, and priorities with program and business needs; balance near‑term execution with long‑term capability development.
  • Partner with Program Management and Business Management to support bids, proposals, and program execution, including manufacturing scope, risk, and cost/schedule inputs.
  • Own manufacturing engineering budgets (labor, capital, and expense) and apply sound financial management.
  • Develop and execute technology roadmaps and capital investment plans for manufacturing processes, equipment, and facilities.
• Compliance, Governance, and Stakeholder Management
  • Ensure manufacturing engineering processes comply with regulatory requirements, customer standards, and internal procedures.
  • Represent manufacturing engineering in internal and external reviews, audits, and customer engagements.
  • Build strong relationships with sector/site leadership, program teams, and functional peers to drive alignment and resolve cross‑functional constraints.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related discipline with 10 or more years of relevant experience; OR a Master’s degree in Engineering or a related discipline with 8 or more years of relevant experience.
• 3 or more years of functional management experience leading organizations of at least 100 employees.
• Progressive leadership experience in manufacturing/production, operations, program management, testing, or a related area, including direct leadership of engineers and/or first‑line managers.
• Demonstrated experience in manufacturing or production engineering supporting complex hardware (e.g., aerospace, defense, electronics, or similar).
• Proven track record of improving manufacturing and test processes, yields, cycle times, and product quality using data and metrics.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing process controls, quality systems, and relevant industry/regulatory standards.
• Demonstrated financial acumen including budgets, rates, and cost management
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly present technical and operational content to leadership and customers.
• U.S. citizenship and an ability to obtain U.S. Government Secret security clearance or greater; OR DoE equivalent or greater

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience in a Director or senior manager role leading a manufacturing engineering or test engineering organization in an aerospace/defense or similarly regulated environment.
• Experience working across multiple disciplines (design, manufacturing, and test engineering) with a strong focus on product development, producibility, and transition to production.
• Hands‑on experience with continuous improvement frameworks
• Experience managing capital equipment roadmaps and facilities upgrades to support long‑term manufacturing capacity and capability.
• Proven ability to build and develop high‑performing teams, including succession planning, leadership development, and engagement initiatives.
• Experience supporting proposals and customer reviews, including articulation of manufacturing engineering approaches, risks, and mitigations.
• Experience working in a matrixed organization, balancing program demands with functional standards and development needs.

Primary Level Salary Range: $194,600.00 - $292,000.00
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.