Manufacturing Operations Manager 3

Northrop Grumman; Elkton (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Overtime

Shift differential

Discretionary bonus

Annual bonuses

Health insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Manager of Production Operations 3 at the Elkton, Maryland facility to lead major core manufacturing and high-rate production streams within the Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) campus. You will guide multi-shift production, drive process improvements, and ensure safety, quality, and financial targets across defense programs.

You will lead production and machining managers, technicians, and staff, acting as a bridge between shop floor execution, program

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 10+ years in manufacturing/engineering environment; master's with 8+ years acceptable.
• 8+ years of progressive employee leadership experience (50+ staff).
• Ability to obtain a Secret clearance; US citizenship is a prerequisite.
• Excellent interpersonal/leadership skills and ability to work with diverse customers.

Responsibilities

• Safety first culture; ensure OSHA compliance and safety programs.
• Oversee large-scale production, shift scheduling, and resource allocation to meet OTD goals.
• Drive lean manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and Six Sigma to reduce waste and raise productivity.
• Lead and develop production managers, supervisors, technicians, and staff.

Skills

People leadership

Interpersonal communication

Safety culture

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Aerospace/Chemical/Industrial Eng or Business Admin

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

SAP (MRP)

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

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.

Northrop Grumman is in need of a Manager of Production Operations 3 to work at the Elkton, Maryland facility.

The Manager of Production Operations 3 will lead, drive, and assume ultimate ownership over major core manufacturing and high-rate production value streams within the Propulsion Systems and Controls (PS&C) facility in Elkton, MD. In this senior leadership capacity, you will direct multi-shift processing areas, optimize wide-scale campus efficiency, champion high-maturity continuous improvement frameworks, and ensure all safety, quality, and financial targets are consistently achieved across a critical defense portfolio (including advanced tactical solid rocket motors, hypersonics, and ordnance systems).

You will lead, coach, and scale an organization of production and machining managers, technicians and machinist, serving as a principal strategic bridge between shop floor execution, program management offices, and executive leadership.

Northrop Grumman PS&C facility in Elkton, Maryland began solid-propellant rocket operations in 1948. Today, the Elkton PS&C facility designs, develops, and produces solid-propellant propulsion and ordnance systems in programs professionally managed for a wide variety of Government and commercial customers. The facility also serves as the hub for offsite engineering and test facilities in Ronkonkoma, NY and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Elkton, Maryland is located on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, midway between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Discover charming small towns, parks with miles of trails, specialty and antique shops, award winning restaurants, and inns. You can hike, bike, camp, bird watch, ride horseback, or drop a fishing line. Five rivers, Chesapeake Bay and the C&D Canal can be explored by boat or by land. Experience panoramic views from Turkey Point Lighthouse on a bluff overlooking the Bay, or from the banks of the C&D Canal where ships from around the globe cruise. https://www.ccgov.org/government/tourism

Key Responsibilities

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Safety First Culture: Ownership of a zero-harm safety culture on the shop floor, actively leading, reviewing, and enforcing strict compliance with OSHA regulations, environmental policies, and internal safety programs.
• Ordnance & Energetics Compliance: Ensure absolute adherence to Department of Defense (DoD) ordnance safety rules and explosive handling requirements across all processing buildings and manufacturing sectors.
• Quality & Mission Assurance: Maintain robust quality management systems (QMS) to track defect rates, manage root-cause investigations, champion Material Review Boards (MRB), and guarantee strict defense specification alignment.

Operational & Portfolio Leadership

• Oversee Daily Production: Direct and coordinate large-scale, high-consequence manufacturing operations (including energetic material mixing, casting, machining, and final assembly), shift schedules, and resource allocation to meet On-Time Delivery (OTD) and volume goals.
• Process Optimization: Drive mature lean manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate waste, lower production costs, and maximize machine and labor productivity across the campus.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Human Resources to resolve complex floor bottlenecks and execute complex new product introductions (NPI) safely.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

• Team Management: Hire, train, schedule, and evaluate direct-report managers, supervisors, technicians, and manufacturing support personnel, emphasizing clear verbal communication and strict procedural compliance.
• Coaching & Bench Strength: Build leadership capability on the production floor through structured mentoring, performance reviews, and succession planning.
• Labor Relations: Collaborate with management and workforce teams to address operational challenges, build morale, and foster a culture of accountability.

Financial & Budget Management

• Budget Oversight: Develop, monitor, and manage department operating budgets, capital expenditures (CapEx), and labor/material cost accounts.
• Proposal & Cost Control: Generate formal Bases of Estimates (BOEs) for proposals and manage operations scope under Earned Value Management System (EVMS) frameworks, tracking cost/schedule variances.
• KPI Tracking: Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, production, quality, scrap, asset downtime, and labor efficiency, etc.

Basic Qualifications

• A bachelors degree with at least 10 years of progressive experience in a manufacturing or engineering environment. Will consider those with a masters degree with at least 8 years of progressive experience in a manufacturing or engineering environment, degrees in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering, or Business Administration preferred.
• 8 or more years of demonstrated successful employee leadership experience – including experience managing organizations of 50 or more individuals
• Ability to obtain a Secret clearance, which US citizenship is a pre-requisite
• Excellent interpersonal/leadership skills and a demonstrated ability to work with and satisfy internal and external customers
• Ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or a MBA
• Hands-on experience developing and managing within schedules and budgets with fluency in earned value management.
• Experience with MRP demand-driven operations management systems (SAP, etc.)
• LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Experience in implementing affordability initiatives that improve product quality, drive down overall cost, and/or improve schedule
• Experience in supporting Root Cause & Corrective Action analysis using multiple methods such as fault trees, Kepner Trego analysis, 5 Why’s, etc.
• Experience transitioning new products into production utilizing APQP(Advance Product Quality Planning), Stage-Gate, or MRL(manufacturing readiness level) frameworks
• Active Secret or higher clearance

This position falls under a Federal Explosives License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for this location. Candidates hired into this role will be required to complete and submit an Employee Possessor Questionnaire to ATF for approval to be a possessor.

Primary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00

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.

• overtime
• shift differential
• discretionary bonus
• 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.
• health insurance coverage
• life insurance
• disability insurance
• savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• 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.