Sr Principal Agile Product Owner

Northrop Grumman Space Systems is seeking a Chief Product Owner to lead and enable multiple software feature teams as they deliver high-level business goals across a Ground System product line supporting multiple constellations. This role represents Product Management on Agile teams, coordinating priorities, dependencies, and blockers through the integrated delivery lifecycle.

Role Summary

The Chief Product Owner (CPO) serves as the customer voice within the Agile development environment and aligns integrated priorities with program strategy. The role also coordinates execution across product and engineering stakeholders to ensure features are complete, testable, and ready for joint release activities and gate reviews.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the Integrated Capability Roadmap.
• Partner with Project Leads to prioritize Features and Capabilities.
• Work with the Chief Engineer to ensure Capability and Technical Roadmaps alignment.
• Ensure priorities reflect customer needs and program strategy.
• Engage with Project Leads to support customer satisfaction and maintain clarity on priorities.
• Collaborate with Feature Team POs, Architects, and Project Leads to break down capabilities into features that teams can execute.
• Work with SEIT, POs, Architects, and Project Leads to validate completeness of features and capabilities.
• Ensure features include stories that cover all work required for the Definition of Done.
• Account for adequacy of Acceptance Criteria defined by Project Leads, ensuring they are defined, understood, and testable.
• Work directly with POs to ensure roadmap compliance and communicate the roadmap effectively.
• Ensure consistency and compliance across PO work, including feature/story/acceptance criteria definition and feature acceptance.
• Present the contents entering the Joint Release at the Gate Review, providing context and purpose of each Joint Release item.
• Participate in Gate Reviews as a joint effort between the CPO and the I&T Lead.
• Attend weekly customer tag-ups, Joint Working Group meetings, and product line customer-facing meetings, with responsibility limited to participation rather than acting as the product line voice.

Required Qualifications

• Must have an active U.S. Government DoD Top Secret / SCI security clearance.
• Must have a completed Bachelor’s degree with relevant experience:
  • 8 years with a Bachelor’s in Science
  • 6 years with a Master’s
  • 4 years with a PhD
• Experience with big picture priorities and operating within a product line, or managing different customer priorities in one baseline.
• Experience translating high-level business goals into roadmaps, Gantt charts, and/or integrated roadmaps.
• Proficiency with Agile frameworks including SAFe, LeSS, or Scrum@Scale.
• Proficiency using the Atlassian tool suite, especially JIRA.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Good interpersonal skills and leadership experience.

Technologies

• SAFe
• LeSS
• Scrum@Scale
• Atlassian tool suite
• JIRA
• Gantt charts

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong technical background in Software development or Systems Engineering within an Agile software development program.
• Industry-recognized credentials such as CSPO, SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (PO/PM), or CPrO-C (Chief Product Officer – Certified).
• Strong data analysis and visualization skills.
• Proven track record managing, mentoring, and scaling cross-functional product and engineering teams.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze performance metrics of feature teams to identify trends and course-correct or implement process changes.

Clearance, Travel, and Citizenship

• Clearance required for start: Yes
• Clearance type: SCI
• Travel: Yes, 10% of the time
• U.S. citizenship required: Yes

Location

Fairfax, VA (onsite)

Salary

USD 135,800 - 213,400 per year

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Depending on position: eligibility for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay
• Annual bonuses
• Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives

Relocation Assistance

Relocation assistance may be available.

Application Timeline

The application period is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. The timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and candidate availability.