Program Director 1 - Melbourne FL at Northrop Grumman

Program Director 1 (Foreign Military Sales - France)

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's Aeronautics Systems sector is seeking a Program Director 1 (Foreign Military Sales - France) to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Global Surveillance organization. This leadership role will be located onsite in Melbourne, Florida.

About the Role: As the Program Director 1 (Foreign Military Sales - France), you will serve as the strategic architect supporting the full product lifecycle of the French Navy's E-2C and E-2D fleet of aircraft. Operating at the heart of our Global Surveillance organization in Melbourne, Florida, you will lead a high-visibility portfolio that demands a unique blend of engineering development, production synchronization, global supply chain orchestration, and executive-level partnership with NAVAIR and PMA-231. This is a "cradle-to-grave" leadership opportunity where your ability to manage complex $200M+ contract portfolios and mentor a multi-functional team of managers will directly impact the operational success of the French Navy's fleet operators worldwide. If you are a visionary leader who thrives on leading teams to solve systemic engineering challenges and pioneer long-term design integration and sustainment strategies, we invite you to help us define the future of aeronautics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Stewardship: Serves as the primary executive interface to the Acquisition Customers (NAVAIR, PMA-231), French Ministry of Armed Forces (FMoAF) and the French Navy.
• Development and Integration: Leads all disciplines in the design, development, and integration of innovative technologies in support of the customer's need.
• Production & Sustainment Integration: Orchestrates the seamless transition and synchronization between aircraft production lines and post-delivery sustainment, ensuring retrofits and spares keep pace with French demand.
• Global Supply Chain: Provides strategic oversight of a global supply chain network, directing the performance of Tier 1 and Tier 2 to design, develop and integrate technical solutions.
• Financial & Contractual Governance: Directs the financial health of the $1B+ portfolio; leads the development of complex acquisition strategies, multi-year proposals, and contract negotiations that balance profitability with customer value.
• Operational Performance: Accountable for the product quality, cost, schedule, and technical performance across the French portfolio, ensuring all contracted activities meet the rigorous standards of the aerospace industry, DoD and French customer.
• Workforce & Cultural Leadership: Directs a large, multi-functional organization of managers and individual contributors; fosters a culture of technical excellence and rapid problem-solving for the FMS customer.
• Risk & Opportunity Management: Identifies systemic risks within the product lifecycle pipeline and implements high-level mitigation strategies to prevent operational gaps for the customer.

Our Leaders at Northrop Grumman live our values daily and encourage our teams to do the same. We do the right thing: upholding the highest ethical standards and facilitating a safe and respectful environment that attracts, retains, and inspires a diverse and engaged team. We do what we promise: holding yourself and others accountable to meet predictable and balanced results. We commit to shared success: operating as OneNG and removing barriers for our teams. Finally, We pioneer: setting a vision that shapes the future and inspires others.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 10 years of related professional/military experience as defined below OR a Master's degree and 8 years of related professional/military experience as defined below, OR a PhD and 6 years of related professional/military experience as defined below
• Related experience must be in program management within the aerospace/defense industry, with specific exposure to large-scale engineering development environments and global supply chain operations
• At least 3 years of experience leading programs involving U.S. or International acquisition customers (e.g., NAVAIR, DCMA, or foreign equivalents) valued at $100M or higher
• An active U.S Government secret clearance, with the ability to obtain and maintain top secret or higher and any special program accesses needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and executing acquisition strategies and negotiating high-value contracts with Department of Defense or International customers
• Proven track record of managing complex, global supply chain networks to mitigate risk and ensure long-term sustainment of hardware and spares
• Demonstrated success Earned Value Management Framework, optimizing performance through strategic coordination to maximize profitability.