Manager Planning

Job Responsibilities

- Lead, mentor and manage the Production Planning team (recruiting, training, performance management, workload balancing). 

- Establish and maintain production schedules and build plans to meet customer delivery milestones, program timelines, and internal EAC/cost targets. 

- Translate Master Production Schedule (MPS) and demand signals into executable MOs: release, prioritize, reschedule, and close MOs in MES/ERP systems (DMES/MES, CostPoint or equivalent). 

- Own material availability planning and coordination with Materials/Buyer teams; evaluate supplier delivery schedules vs. manufacturing timeliness and re-prioritize where needed. 

- Monitor material flow, WIP levels, shop floor kit integrity, and lead times; proactively identify and remove bottlenecks to sustain throughput. 

- Drive a “first plan your work, then work your plan” culture — ensure planners create realistic, data-driven build plans and execute to them. 

- Use Kinaxis, Power BI, and other planning/reporting tools to generate schedule, supply-to-demand and pegging reports, and actionable metrics. 

- Participate in and drive Tier I/II production meetings; provide daily/weekly status and escalation support for issues requiring cross-functional action. 

- Ensure MO/MRP schedule accuracy, MO aging management, and compliance with MMAS (Material Management Accounting System) and other program requirements. 

- Work with Finance to align production performance to EAC and product cost targets; recommend corrective actions for variance. 

- Reconcile MES/DMES and ERP discrepancies, document MRB/RTV/Scrap transactions, and support purge and disposition processes. 

- Ensure accurate inventory via cycle counts and reconciliation to CostPoint or ERP; manage vendor managed inventory (VMI) and common-use floor stock to sustain production. 

- Maintain and review assembly yields, make-part lead times, and planner workbook; update quarterly and as needed. 

- Respond to production or material delays within established SLAs (escalate unresolved issues and ensure resolution within 24 hours where possible). 

- Maintain traceability, change control, and documentation required for DoD contracts and audits.

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or related discipline. Equivalent experience may be accepted. 

- 7+ years of progressive production planning experience in a manufacturing environment, including 3+ years leading a team or function. Experience with DoD/defense contractors strongly preferred. 

- Hands-on experience with MRP/ERP systems (CostPoint, SAP, Oracle, or equivalent), MES/DMES systems, and advanced planning tools (Kinaxis or similar). 

- Advanced Excel skills and experience with business intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau, etc.) for dashboards and reporting. 

- Demonstrated ability to create and manage build schedules, pegging reports, clear-to-build logic, and material allocation. 

- Strong knowledge of material management accounting practices (MMAS or equivalent) and production costing principles (EAC). 

- Proven problem-solving skills with a track record of removing production bottlenecks and improving flow. 

- Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills; able to lead Tier meetings and provide clear escalations. 

- Ability to work under program schedule pressure, prioritize competing demands and make data-driven decisions. 

- Eligible for or currently holding a DoD security clearance (Secret or Top Secret) preferred.