Director 1 - Launch Systems Chief Engineer

Northrop Grumman; Roy (UT); On-site; USD 176,000 - 264,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Educational assistance

Life insurance

Employee assistance programs & Work/Li

Paid Time Off

Health & Wellness resources

Employee discounts

Job summary

Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems seeks a Director 1 – Launch Systems Chief Engineer to lead the Sentinel Office of the Chief Engineer in the SDS Division. The role, located in Roy, Utah, requires a Secret clearance and oversees launch infrastructure, sustainment, and cross-program technical reviews.

This senior leader will guide engineering processes, balance performance with cost, and mentor next‑gen technical leaders while coordinating with IPTs and Sentinel partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a STEM field with substantial progressive engineering experience.
• Experience leading engineering teams or organizations.
• Active DoD Secret clearance; investigation completed within the last five years.
• Strong grasp of engineering tools and processes (standards, config mgmt, reviews, tooling, facilities).
• Experience addressing cost, schedule, and technical quality in development or systems integration.

Responsibilities

• Lead SDS Office of the Chief Engineer priorities for Launch Systems, including Sentinel Launch Infrastructure, Support Equipment, and MMIII sustainment.
• Ensure adherence to engineering processes across development, production and sustainment, complying with policies and standards.
• Maintain a technical baseline balancing performance, cost and schedule against KPIs and TPMs.
• Support program management meetings and cross-team coordination to resolve design issues.
• Collaborate across IPTs to meet system performance goals and drive strategic SDS initiatives.
• Mentor high-potential technical leaders and lead engineering reviews with Sentinel partners.

Skills

Leadership experience

DoD clearance

System engineering

Cost/schedule/quality

MBSE

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM with 10+ years experience or Master’s with 8+ years experience

Job description

Relocation Assistance

Relocation assistance may be available.

Job Summary

Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems sector seeks a Director 1 – Launch Systems Chief Engineer to join the LGM-35A Sentinel Office of the Chief Engineer in the Strategic Deterrent Systems (SDS) Division. This leadership role is located in Roy, Utah and requires a Secret-level clearance.

Responsibilities

• Execute the priorities of the SDS Office of the Chief Engineer with a focus on the Launch Systems Business Unit, including the Sentinel Launch Infrastructure, Support Equipment, and MMIII Sustainment activities.
• Ensure the program adheres to sound engineering processes throughout development, verification, production, and sustainment, and complies with company policies, procedures, and quality standards.
• Maintain an achievable technical baseline that balances performance with cost and schedule, emphasizing Key Performance Parameters and Technical Performance Measures.
• Support Program Management Team meetings (TRB, WSWG, CCB, PMR, Scrumban, ROMB).
• Collaborate horizontally across teams to resolve disconnects and ensure design decisions meet system performance goals.
• Champion long‑term strategic technical objectives within Sentinel and at the SDS division level.
• Facilitate strategic SDS Sector initiatives on tools, processes, and cross‑program technical reviews.
• Lead technical interchange meetings with Sentinel partners.
• Support hardware and deliverable‑focused deep dives for Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) across SDS.
• Identify opportunities for and support engagement activities across all IPTs.
• Mentor high‑potential technical leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM with at least 10 years of progressive engineering experience, or Master’s degree with 8 years of experience.
• Experience formally leading engineering teams or organizations.
• Demonstrated performance addressing cost, schedule, and technical quality for engineering development or systems integration projects.
• Advanced knowledge within a single engineering discipline and experience across disciplines.
• Strong understanding of complex engineering tools and processes (engineering standards, configuration management, material review board, process control, tooling, facilities, software, etc.).
• Active DoD Secret clearance; investigation completed within the last five years.

Nice to Have

• 16 years of STEM‑focused experience.
• ICBM or complex system‑of‑systems experience.
• Management and delivery of MILCON projects.
• Experience across the development lifecycle from concept through verification, production, operations, support, and retirement.
• Deployment of systems experience.
• Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) experience.
• Computer‑aided Design (CAD) experience.
• Experience with incremental fielding approaches (e.g., Integrated Functional Capability).
• Customer and/or supplier relationship management.
• Interfacing with USAF leadership personnel.
• Active DoD TS/SCI clearance.
• Strong sense of urgency and work ethic to meet engineering and program expectations.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Educational assistance
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance programs & Work/Life solutions
• Paid Time Off
• Health & Wellness resources
• Employee discounts

This position follows a 9/80 work schedule and may offer competitive relocation assistance.

Compensation

Primary Level Salary Range: $176,100.00 – $264,100.00 (pay determined by scope, experience, and market factors). Overtime, shift differential, discretionary bonuses, long‑term incentives, and other benefits may also apply.

Travel & Clearance

Travel required: 25% of the time.

Equal Opportunity Employment

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. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.