Northrop Grumman is a proud partner of WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) whose mission is to ensure women in STEM can contribute, grow and sustain fulfilling careers in supportive environments. Through evidence based guidance, WISE aims to remove systemic barriers, unlock talent and support innovation across the STEM sector.

As part of our WISE membership, NGUK participated in a Gender Equity Framework diagnostic which assesses progress on EDI, and in turn helps our organisation to develop sustainable strategies and benchmarks our progress against other STEM employers. The diagnostic is based on WISE's Gender Equity Framework composed of five core pillars: data, attraction, progression, retention and engagement. We provided WISE with information about our flexible working policies, wellbeing provisions, family policies, progression and training opportunities, mentoring and coaching programmes, recruitment practices, gender pay gap reporting and leadership KPIs linked to EDI.

When we began our partnership with WISE in 2020, we ranked 14. In 2025, we achieved an overall score of 82%, placing us in second position out of 19 companies in the UK.

Tina Walton, Social Value Lead, said “I am thrilled to see the progress that NGUK has made since we began our partnership with WISE in 2020, this result reflects a lot of hard work and commitment from a whole team of people dedicated to making NG a better place for all. Our work together has opened our eyes to the changes that can be achieved by making improvements in the workplace. At NGUK, we are committed to pursuing gender quality within the STEM sector and I look forward to further collaboration with WISE to make that a reality.”

WISE said, "Northrop Grumman excelled in their 2025 WISE Gender Equity Framework diagnostic, reflecting not only the progress made this year but the impact of their longstanding partnership with WISE. Their continued investment in inclusive recruitment, the removal of barriers to women's progression, and the strong support offered to early career talent all demonstrates the depth of their commitment. We are delighted to celebrate the progress Northrop Grumman has achieved through our work together and look forward to continuing our partnership to advance the recruitment, retention, and progression of women in STEM."

NGUK’s ultimate goal is to track progress, demonstrate accountability and drive meaningful change within our organisation. We look forward to continuing our work alongside WISE to share best practice and recommendations for improvements, and plan priorities aligning to our organisation’s strategy to ensure that we are striving to progress even further.