Mission and Quality Assurance Lead

Northrop Grumman Space Systems Mission And Quality Assurance Analyst

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 Space Systems is seeking a Central Region Mission and Quality Assurance Analyst. This role will be directly aligned to the Risk and Opportunity Management Plan and Mission Assurance/Quality Assurance requirements.

The selected candidate will lead quality and mission assurance activities across the software- and hardware-intensive ground segment, integrating risk and opportunity management with the Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure first-time quality and mission success.

If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!

Key Responsibilities for Quality Management System & Mission Assurance (Program, Systems, Hardware, Supplier, Software MA):

• Execute Mission Assurance/Quality Assurance (MAQA) responsibilities in alignment with the organizational Quality Management System (QMS), including compliance to AS9100 Rev D, applicable Northrop Grumman procedures (PrOPs), and customer requirements.
• Implement and maintain an internal program audit plan aligned with the organizational risk-based audit (RBA) plan, performing targeted audits of software, hardware, and system processes to evaluate effectiveness of the QMS and verify compliance with AS9100, Northrop Grumman procedures (PrOPs), and program-specific requirements.
• Drive Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) activities:
• Lead or guide RCCA for nonconformances, quality escapes, and audit findings.
• Define and implement corrective actions, validate effectiveness, and ensure closure is documented in the RCCA tracking tool.
• Participate in and support the Preventive Corrective Action Board (PCAB), Failure Review Boards (FRB), and related mission assurance boards to address systemic issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Manage nonconformances (DRs) and escapes in accordance with the nonconformance tracking processes, ensuring documentation, disposition, and verification of corrective actions.
• Support development and reporting of quality metrics and use metrics to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure quality goals and objectives are translated into actionable plans for software, hardware, systems, supplier, and program-level mission assurance.
• Program MA:
  Review and approve SDRLs, quality metrics, and statements of work (SOW) compliance from a mission assurance/quality perspective; support audits and risk/opportunity management from a program quality standpoint.
• Systems MA:
  Collaborate with systems engineering to plan, witness, and approve subsystem and system-level verification, validation, and sell-off activities, ensuring requirements are met and acceptance criteria are satisfied.
• Hardware MA:
  Support and perform hardware inspections (including PCAs and other configuration/acceptance inspections) on end-item deliverables and test lab configurations; verify hardware readiness for test, integration, and delivery.
• Supplier MA:
  Coordinate with Supplier Mission Assurance (SMA) and supply chain to evaluate and monitor suppliers, ensuring quality requirements are flowed down, verified, and maintained through audits, inspections, and performance metrics.
• Software MA:
  Support mission assurance of software capabilities primarily through planning, witnessing, and reviewing system and subsystem-level testing of software-enabled functions, rather than direct development, while leveraging software engineering knowledge to understand risks and issues.

Program-Integrated Mission Assurance & Risk/Opportunity Management

• Implement and sustain the Risk and Opportunity Management Plan (ROMP) and associated Risk and Opportunity Management (RSKOM) process for software, hardware, system, and program mission assurance activities.
• Act as a key contributor to the Risk and Opportunity Management Board (ROMB):
• Identify, assess, and document software, hardware, and system risks/opportunities in the program's risk, issue, and opportunity tracking tool.
• Define and execute handling strategies (avoid/mitigate/transfer/accept/monitor for risks; capture/pursue/transfer/monitor/accept for opportunities).
• Apply program-specific risk scales (probability and impact in cost, schedule, and…