Bianca Rhodes
Salt Lake City
Summary
Dynamic Senior Program Manager at Northrop Grumman, specializing in strategic planning and risk management. Orchestrated over $100M in annual revenue growth through impactful contract negotiations and cross-functional leadership. Demonstrated expertise in driving performance and strengthening client relationships, ensuring project success and fiscal responsibility across multiple high-stakes aerospace initiatives.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
2
2
Certifications
Work History
Senior Program Manager, GEM 63/63XL
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems
Magna
10.2024 - Current
- Set strategic vision and implemented initiatives to enhance financial accuracy and performance.
- Strengthened Risk Management System to ensure closure of action plans and capture cost and schedule impacts.
- Established Support and Touch Labor cost targets for high-rate production to achieve profit margin objectives.
- Managed resource allocation and budgeting across multiple concurrent aerospace propulsion projects.
- Facilitated stakeholder meetings to align project goals and expectations effectively.
- Coached junior program managers to enhance team performance and foster knowledge sharing across the organization.
Senior Program Manager, ICBM Sustainment, Aging & Surveillance Programs
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems
Hill Air Force Base
01.2023 - 10.2024
- Directed Minuteman ICBM Propulsion Systems Sustainment efforts, interfacing with senior Air Force and Space Force leadership.
- Negotiated future scope for ICBM extended sustainment initiatives to enhance longevity.
- Led cross-functional teams in developing detailed propulsion system project plans.
- Coordinated program schedules and resource allocation across multiple projects to ensure efficiency.
- Managed risk assessments to identify challenges and implement effective solutions.
- Analyzed project performance data to guide strategic decision-making processes.
- Created comprehensive work breakdown structures for complex projects, detailing task assignments and resource plans.
- Built strategic partnerships with clients through ongoing engagement and quality monitoring.
Director of Defense Programs
Albany Engineered Composites
Salt Lake City
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Directed the strategic growth and execution for the Defense Sector expansion.
- Aligned corporate mission statement and objectives to business unit goals.
- Identified technical gaps in strategic development and capital investment and provided recommendations for technical capability enhancements.
- Conducted quarterly EAC reporting to executive leadership while ensuring fiscal responsibility and profitability of government contracts.
- Increased annual revenue of +$100M through the negotiations of the CH53K Heavy-Lift Helicopter production scope of work, a contract value of +$1B.
- The directed multi-portfolio team supporting the high-rate composite fabrication for the CH-53K Heavy-Lift Helicopter, F-35, and JASSM, exceeding $171M annual sales.
Program Manager II, Sentinel Solid Rocket Motor
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems
Clearfield
05.2018 - 01.2022
- Directed multidiscipline team of over 200 through preliminary and critical design phases of Sentinel Solid Rocket Motor Case.
- Provided strategic alignment with schedule execution, long-lead material procurement, and qualification efforts to meet incentive milestone payment dates.
- Presented customer change requests to Executive Leadership for additional budget allocations due to scope changes.
- Led profit and loss management for Case financials and schedule adherence on $119M contract, achieving annual sales exceeding $30M.
- Developed project schedules using advanced project management tools while coordinating resource allocation for multiple concurrent projects.
- Facilitated communication between stakeholders to ensure alignment on project objectives and monitored performance metrics for timely task completion.
- Managed contract negotiations effectively with vendors and service providers while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements throughout the program lifecycle.
- Championed continuous improvement initiatives by assessing program performance against KPIs and incorporating best practices into operations.
Education
Master’s Business Administration - Project Management
Purdue University
West Lafayette, INBachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZBachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZSkills
- Strategic planning and execution
- Risk management
- Contract negotiation
- Cross-functional leadership
- Profit and loss management
- Data-driven decision making
- Revenue growth
- Effective communication
- Client relationship management
Patents
US20170299012A1, Isolation mount for shock attenuation, 2016
Certification
PgMP
Languages
English
Full Professional
Spanish
Professional
Timeline
Senior Program Manager, GEM 63/63XL
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems
10.2024 - Current
Senior Program Manager, ICBM Sustainment, Aging & Surveillance Programs
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems
01.2023 - 10.2024
Director of Defense Programs
Albany Engineered Composites
01.2022 - 01.2023
Program Manager II, Sentinel Solid Rocket Motor
Northrop Grumman Propulsion Systems
05.2018 - 01.2022
Master’s Business Administration - Project Management
Purdue University
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
University of Arizona
Bachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Arizona