Weapons Systems Division Director Contracts 2

Socket.dev; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems seeks a Contracts Director 2 to influence the strategic direction of the Contracts organization for the Weapons Systems Division. The role reports to the VP of Contracts and GM of WS, with a dotted-line to the division leader.

Located in Northridge, CA; Linthicum, MD; or McLean, VA, the Director leads end-to-end contract formation, negotiation, administration, and compliance across domestic and international programs, partnering with PM, Finance, and Supply Chain

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of contracts experience in the aerospace/defense industry, including DoD contracts.
• Proven experience leading negotiation and administration for complex, high-value development or production programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Contracts organization within the Weapons Systems Division.
• Lead negotiation and execution of complex contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, MOUs, and teaming agreements with DoD and international customers.
• Serve as primary contractual advisor to division leadership on strategy, terms, risk, and compliance.
• Interpret FAR/DFARS and DoD regulations to ensure compliant contract formation and execution.
• Drive standardized contract processes, tools, controls, and best practices across the division.
• Assess risks and opportunities; implement risk-mitigation and value-capture strategies.
• Oversee contract changes, REAs, claims, and scope/schedule/price modifications.
• Collaborate on proposal strategy, pricing, and business case development; align with financial goals.
• Support gate reviews, approvals, and executive briefings for key pursuits and modifications.
• Develop relationships with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Contracts team.
• Monitor performance metrics like cycle time, quality, and backlog health.

Skills

Leadership

Contract negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: NoCLEARANCE TYPE: NoneTRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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 Defense Systems (NGDS) is seeking a Contracts Director 2 to influence and enable the strategic direction of the Contracts organization for the Weapons Systems (WS) Division. This role reports directly to the Defense Systems Sector Vice President of Contracts, ITC, and Government Property, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Vice President and General Manager of the WS Division.

Located in Northridge, CA; Linthicum, MD; or McLean, VA, this position will be responsible for leading the end‑to‑end contracts function in support of complex development and production programs. This role provides strategic and operational leadership for contract formation, negotiation, administration, and compliance, ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer requirements, and applicable laws and regulations. The Contracts Director 2 partners closely with Program Management, Business Development, Finance, Supply Chain, and functional leadership to enable profitable growth, manage risk, and ensure execution excellence across a diverse portfolio of domestic and international contracts.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Contracts organization supporting the Weapons Systems Division, including direct management of contract managers and administrators.
• Lead the development, review, negotiation, and execution of complex contracts, subcontracts, and related agreements (NDAs, MOUs, teaming agreements, etc.) with U.S. Government and international customers, primes, and industry partners.
• Serve as the primary contractual advisor to division and program leadership, providing guidance on contract strategy, terms and conditions, risk allocation, and compliance implications.
• Interpret and apply FAR/DFARS, DoD and other customer regulations, as well as internal procedures, to ensure compliant contract formation and execution.
• Drive standardized contracts processes, tools, controls, and best practices across the division to increase quality, consistency, and efficiency.
• Assess contractual risks and opportunities; propose and implement risk‑mitigation and value‑capture strategies that support both program execution and business objectives.
• Oversee contract change management, including REAs, claims, equitable adjustments, and modifications to scope, schedule, and price.
• Partner with Program Management and Finance on proposal strategy, pricing approaches, and business case development; ensure contract and pricing strategies are aligned with division financial goals.
• Support gate reviews, internal approvals, and executive briefings for key pursuits, awards, and modifications.
• Develop and maintain strong customer, partner, and internal stakeholder relationships; represent Contracts in customer meetings, negotiations, and executive reviews.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing Contracts team, including workload balancing, career development, and succession planning.
• Monitor and drive performance against key metrics (cycle time, quality, backlog health, risk profile, etc.) for the division’s contracts portfolio.
• Ensure timely and accurate contract setup, data integrity, and documentation in relevant systems and repositories.
• Support internal and external audits, assessments, and reviews (e.g., DCMA, DCAA, internal compliance).
• Champion an ethical, compliant, and inclusive culture within the Contracts organization and across the broader Weapons Systems Division.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 10+ years or Master’s degree with 8+ years of contracts experience in the aerospace/defense or closely related industry, with significant experience supporting U.S. Government (DoD) contracts or professional experience
• Demonstrated experience leading contract negotiation and administration for complex, high value development and/or production