Planning Manager

$100-$115K

Position Summary :

The Aerospace Planning Manager is responsible for leading production planning, scheduling, capacity management, and material planning activities to ensure the successful execution of aerospace manufacturing and program commitments. This role collaborates closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Program Management to optimize production flow, meet customer delivery requirements, and support business growth. The Aerospace Planning Manager develops and maintains integrated production plans while balancing resource constraints, inventory objectives, and customer expectations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

Leadership & Team Management

Lead, mentor, and develop Manufacturing Engineers, Production Planners, and support personnel to achieve departmental objectives.
• Establish performance goals, conduct employee evaluations, and identify training and development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, safety, and quality throughout the organization.
• Provide technical guidance and decision-making support to engineering and production teams.
• Manage workload distribution and resource allocation to ensure efficient execution of projects and production schedules.

Strategic Planning & Operations Management
• Develop and implement manufacturing and planning strategies aligned with company growth objectives and customer requirements.
• Participate in Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP/S&OP) activities to align production capacity with forecasted demand.
• Evaluate equipment and facility capacity requirements to support business growth and operational efficiency.
• Establish and monitor departmental Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including On-Time Delivery (OTD), Schedule Adherence, Capacity Utilization, Scrap Reduction, Inventory Turns, and Productivity Metrics.

Cross-Functional Leadership
• Serve as the primary liaison between Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Program Management, and Executive Leadership.
• Lead cross-functional teams in resolving production constraints, material shortages, quality concerns, and customer delivery challenges.
• Support customer audits, supplier reviews, and management review meetings.
• Present project status, operational metrics, and improvement initiatives to senior management.

Continuous Improvement & Compliance

• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement initiatives to improve productivity and reduce operational costs.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace industry standards, customer specifications, and regulatory requirements including AS9100 quality management systems.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action activities related to manufacturing, quality, and delivery performance.
• Champion process standardization, best practices, and knowledge-sharing across departments.

Requirements

Qualifications :

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field.

· 7–10+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or highly regulated industries.

· 3–5+ years of leadership experience managing planning or scheduling teams.

· Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle ERP, Infor LN, or similar).

· Experience with production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory management, and supply chain operations.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

· Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or Supply Chain Management.
• Professional certifications such as:
• APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
• APICS Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM)
• Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Experience with aerospace standards and regulatory requirements.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience supporting government, commercial aviation, or space programs.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance