Senior Production Planner / Senior Production Planning Engineer

Senior Production Planner / Senior Production Planning Engineer

Downey, CA / Santa Fe Springs, CA

Reports To: Engineering Director
Direct Reports: None
Compensation: $150k - $200k DOE + Bonus
Eligibility: U.S. citizenship required (ITAR-compliant facility)

We are seeking a highly analytical Senior Production Planner / Senior Production Planning Engineer to drive efficiency in its AS9100-certified CNC machine shop. In this role you will own the production schedule, maximize spindle utilization across multi-axis mills and lathes, and ensure strict adherence to aerospace quality and traceability requirements. You will be responsible for improving factory throughput, validating labor standards and routings, identifying bottlenecks and providing resolutions, building the utilization and capacity models required to support disciplined growth, reliable customer delivery, and improved asset utilization, supporting the tracking of machine maintenance, and supporting automated job scheduling. The ideal candidate understands high-mix, low-volume aerospace work, knows how to schedule around First Article Inspection (FAI) bottlenecks, and can optimize tooling and fixture usage to reduce changeover times.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Analyze the sequence of operations and workflows to maximize efficiency, reduce cycle times, and eliminate waste.
• Develop labor-hour estimates using time studies, historical data, and operational analysis for production scheduling.
• Design plant layouts, establish material flow, and balance production lines to optimize facility and equipment utilization.
• Manage headcount planning and evaluate personnel requirements in relation to operational demands and manufacturing shifts.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement plans that improve production execution, capacity planning, defect reduction, on-time starts/finishes, and more.
• Lead continuous-improvement workshops, problem-solving teams, and technology insertions to improve product flow and reduce production costs.
• Develop models, databases, and spreadsheets to analyze data and provide metrics, reports, and performance summaries to leadership.
• Track, measure, and report on metrics including machine utilization, capacity planning, machine mean time between failures, queue-time reduction, bottleneck recovery, capacity-model accuracy, and setup-time reduction.
• Ensure all work processes comply with regulatory standards, safety policies, and ergonomic guidelines.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, required regardless of years of experience.
• 7+ years of industrial or manufacturing engineering experience within an aerospace manufacturing environment.
• U.S. citizenship required, the facility is ITAR-compliant, and all applicants must be U.S. persons as defined by ITAR.
• Willingness and ability to obtain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance if required (company-sponsored; not required to start).
• Proficiency with ERP software (Epicor preferred, specifically master scheduling and planning modules); MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and ERP/MRP (Epicor) experience required.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and capacity planning; ability to interpret MRP outputs and adjust schedules accordingly.
• Ability to apply factory simulation and process-flow methodologies to model system operations, diagnose bottlenecks and queue constraints, and optimize throughput, cycle time, and overall cost efficiency.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills for data analysis and reporting; experience with market research and data analysis to drive action- and result-oriented solutions.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, written/verbal communication, organizational, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-pressure, team-oriented environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate across all departments and bring internal teams together to spearhead issues; ability to organize, speak, and drive presentations in large group settings.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Expert-level ERP proficiency (Epicor — master scheduling and planning modules) and expert-level MS Office Suite.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or precision machining, especially job-shop environments with build-to-print, custom fabrications, and large components.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles.
• Familiarity with AS9100 Rev D, including traceability, FAI (AS9102), and non-conformance handling.
• Ability to read complex blueprints with GD&T and understand cycle times to validate schedules and routings.
• Experience with CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, or similar CAD software, including configuration management and control, and factory simulation using Simio or a similar tool.
• Project management certification (a plus, not required).

• Communicates effectively with non-technical staff and members of interdisciplinary teams.
• Flexible and adaptable in learning and understanding new technologies.
• Strong written, oral, presentation, critical-thinking, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Highly self-motivated and directed, with keen attention to detail and proven analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment, working both independently and collaboratively.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Full-time, on-site
• Ability to work onsite, including hours outside a normal working day, to meet critical deadlines.
• Ability to walk the shop floor to obtain a visual on job status.