OverviewJob Title: Manager, Production Planning & Control
Job Location: Torrance, CA
Salary: $135,000-$155,000/yr DOE
This is a key position that oversees the planning organization for The Stellant Torrance, CA facility focusing on leading a team of planning professionals and will be responsible for developing and executing to drive on-time delivery, material readiness, and schedule execution across our manufacturing enterprise. This role combines forward-looking production planning with real-time shop floor control, serving as the primary escalation point for material issues and operational disruptions. The ideal candidate brings aerospace or defense manufacturing experience, MRP system fluency, and proven people leadership skills.
Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and manage a team of planners; assign workloads, conduct performance management, and resolve most escalations independently without senior management involvement. Ensure tools, processes, and staff are aligned to business needs. Establish and maintain an effective and clearly defined training plan for the planning team.
- Oversee master production scheduling (MPS) aligned to customer delivery commitments, capacity constraints, and demand signals from S&OP.
- Serve as functional MRP owner: manage parameters (lot sizing, lead times, safety stock), analyze and drive exception message closure, and maintain system data integrity.
- Monitor real-time shop floor execution; identify schedule deviations early, manage work order priorities, and coordinate corrective actions to protect on-time delivery.
- Proactively identify material shortages and long-lead risks; partner with Procurement to drive mitigation strategies and own the material risk log through closure.
- Develop and publish planning KPIs — schedule adherence, kit delivery, MRP exception rates — and create dashboards that provide leadership visibility into planning health. Analyze metrics and drive root cause / corrective actions to address any performance gaps.
- Represent Planning in program reviews, customer milestone meetings, and cross-functional operations forums.
- Develops and maintains excellent relationships with Supply Chain peers and other internal stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for process improvements and cost reductions within the material planning organization through use of lean tools, standard work and training.
- Communicate material plans, forecasts, and strategies to senior management and key stakeholders.
- Foster a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
- Provide training and development opportunities to enhance team skills.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or related field; or equivalent aerospace/defense experience.
- 7+ years of production planning or operations experience in aerospace, defense, or complex manufacturing.
- 5+ years of direct people management experience including performance management and team development.
- Hands-on MRP/ERP experience with ability to manage parameters and drive data integrity (SAP, Oracle, Infor, or equivalent).
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with Power BI or similar reporting tools preferred.
- Knowledge of production planning and inventory management principles.
- High level of attention to detail and excellent time management skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident) per ITAR requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- APICS CPIM or CSCP certification (or active pursuit).
- Experience in space, satellite, missile, or defense manufacturing environments.
- Familiarity with AS9100, EVMS, and/or Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
- Experience managing planners in a mixed make/buy environment with long-lead and critical path materials.
