Manager, Planning

Worker Type

Regular

Summary

Job Description

The Manager, Planning is an experienced and strategic-thinking professional to lead our aerospace manufacturing planning team. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a deep understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, and a proven track record in production planning, and MRP optimization.

Position Responsibilities

• Delegating responsibilities and supervising business operations
• Hiring, training, motivating and coaching employees as they provide attentive, efficient service to customers, assessing employee performance and providing helpful feedback and training opportunities.
• Resolving conflicts or complaints from customers and employees.
• Analyzing information and processes and developing more effective or efficient processes and strategies.
• Generating reports and presenting information to upper-level managers or other parties.
• Ensuring staff members follow company policies and procedures.
• Other duties to ensure the overall health and success of the business.
• Lead and manage the production planning team, overseeing the development and execution of production schedules and plans.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including procurement, production, engineering, and quality assurance to ensure efficient production processes.
• Develop and implement production strategies to meet customer demands, optimize resource allocation, and achieve production goals.
• Monitor and analyze production data, identifying trends and areas for improvement to enhance overall operational efficiency.
• Plan and manage inventory levels to ensure adequate supply of materials while minimizing excess stock.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, implementing lean manufacturing principles and best practices to streamline processes.
• Coordinate with customer-facing teams to align production plans with customer orders and delivery timelines.
• Provide regular updates and reports to senior management on production performance, resource utilization, and capacity planning.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace industry regulations, safety standards, and quality requirements.
• Mentor and develop planning team members, fostering a culture of collaboration and professional growth.
• Collaboration with Operations and Planners to agree upon a master plan and backlog recovery actions
• Other duties assigned
  
  

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Advanced degree, MBA or MS is preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience required and minimum of 3-5 years of experience in aerospace, defense, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a leadership role.
• Ability to develop and manage direct reports is required from this role.
• Proven experience managing complex production and integration processes in a regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of military compliance requirements, contract management, and WAWF processes.
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems for production planning, order tracking and process management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and coordinate activities across multiple departments.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze data and drive resolution of order fulfillment issues.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and reporting tools.
• Experience in SplashBI and advanced MRP systems such as Oracle strongly recommended.
• Experience with multi-level BOM’s and managing system-generated build times recommended.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels
  
  

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• APICS Certification (CPIM) or PMP Certification is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills, with the ability to speak and write persuasively
• Experience working with cross-functional teams; ability to develop and maintain internal and external trusting, professional relationships
• Uses vision to think beyond the immediate situation, explore multiple potential paths, and adapt decision-making style based on the situational circumstances
• Inspires, motivates, and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees
• Brings organizational values to life using personality, uniqueness, and the creation of a shared vision
• Champions the process of change and promotes a culture of quick adaptation while helping others deal with the effects of change
• Takes ownership and responsibility for assigned tasks
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests
  
  

Physical Demands

• Ability to sit, stand, stoop, reach, lift up to 10 lbs., bend, etc. Hand and wrist dexterity to utilize the computer.
• May require travel to sites/program and special functions.
  
  

Environmental Conditions Critical to Performance

• Work is in an office and manufacturing environment, climate controlled through central air conditioning/heating.
• May have some exposure to outside environment while traveling.
  
  

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required.
• Must be able to travel within the Continental U.S. and internationally when required.
  
  

The Salary Range For This Role Is

$108,275 - $153,615

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR

• 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.
  
  

Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizenship required