Great company with growing pains - Program Manager Northrop Grumman Employee Review

3.0
Dec 27, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing and challenging aircraft development programs at Aerospace Systems which are state of the art for the Defense Department. If you like developing new and advanced military and/or unmanned aircraft this is a great company to work at. 9/80 work week is wonderful in that it gives you a 3 day weekend every other week. Recently Northrop has reinvigorated its research and development efforts to help the company regain its technical edge which has resulted in some strategic wins. Excellent 401k program

Cons

Company has changed its management approach to focus almost entirely on the shareholder, with the customer coming second and the employee coming in last. Lots of focus on “Engagement” which puts significant burden on line managers to improve morale but then VPs cut employee’s benefits which makes this impossible. Significant benefit reductions during the last 5 years with removal of the traditional pension, huge increases in health benefit costs, stagnant raises, and bonus plans that are based on VP’s favorites not accomplishments. Recent employee evaluation system has alienated 70% of the workers that are now identified as average and good raises and bonuses only going to the top 30%. This seems reasonable but the evaluation system is subjective not objective and gives the appearance if not the reality of only rewarding senior management’s favorite employees.

Explore other reviews about Northrop Grumman

5.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible work arrangement, 9/80 schedule, job security

Cons

Low pay, full time on site required for career growth

1.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Not much pros but talented coworkers.

Cons

I joined expecting a long-term career and initially had a positive experience. Unfortunately, the culture changed significantly after leadership transitions. Micromanagement increased, decision-making became highly centralized, and employee morale steadily declined. Many experienced employees and managers left during my time there, making it difficult to maintain continuity and trust within the organization. The work itself was meaningful, and I had the opportunity to support important projects with talented colleagues. However, recognition, career growth, and employee retention did not appear to receive the same level of attention as process, reporting, and management oversight. My layoff was communicated as unrelated to performance, which was appreciated. However, after years of contribution and institutional knowledge, the overall experience left me feeling that employees were viewed as replaceable rather than valued long-term assets.

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