Balderson to lead Northrop Grumman contracting
Diane Balderson was most recently head of contracting for the Naval Air Systems Command.
Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman named Diane Balderson vice president of contracts and pricing, a duty she will officially take over from incumbent Harry Q.H. Lee at year’s end.
The position oversees companywide contracts and pricing policy along with Northrop Grumman’s review of contract risk.
Balderson was most recently head of contracting for the Naval Air Systems Command, managing $30 billion in annual “contractual obligations and expenditures,” the Falls Church, Va.-based firm said, adding that she was the first civilian to lead NAVAIR’s contracting organization.
She was also contracting department head for NAVAIR Air Assault and Special Missions, and previously held top contracting posts in the Environmental Protection Agency, according to her Northrop-furnished bio.
She “brings 33 years of experience in U.S. government acquisition leadership, 21 of which she was a member of the federal Senior Executive Service,” James Palmer, corporate vice president at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement. “She has led a broad range of large contracting organizations and has executed complex business deals for both defense and civil agencies.”