Production Planner Subject Matter Expert

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic and Group-Level Oversight:

• Develop and implement group-wide production planning policies procedures and KPIs to standardize operations across all defense manufacturing units.
  
• Evaluate and benchmark factory planning performance to ensure optimal capacity utilization resource allocation and schedule adherence.
  
• Act as the corporate advisor for production planning material control and master scheduling functions.
  

Technical Expertise & Continuous Improvement:

• Serve as the subject matter expert on advanced production planning techniques (MRP ERP/MES integration finite capacity scheduling lean production etc.).
  
• Lead initiatives for production optimization bottleneck analysis and throughput improvement across subsidiaries.
  
• Design and implement best practices for forecasting demand planning and production sequencing tailored to defense manufacturing environments.
  

Digital Transformation & Systems Integration:

• Partner with IT and digital transformation teams to implement or enhance ERP/MES systems and ensure accurate data flow between planning procurement and manufacturing.
  
• Define system parameters and data governance rules to ensure consistency and reliability of production information across factories.
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Coordinate with procurement engineering quality assurance and logistics to ensure end-to-end production readiness and delivery performance.
  
• Provide expert training mentoring and capability development to factory production planners and schedulers.
  
• Act as the liaison between the holding company and subsidiary/JV planning teams ensuring strategic objectives are met.
  

Governance & Reporting:

• Monitor and report on group-level production KPIs (OTD capacity utilization WIP inventory turns etc.).
  
• Support internal audits and compliance with defense production regulations export controls and quality standards (ISO AS9100 MIL-SPEC etc.).
  
• Develop dashboards and executive summaries for leadership review and decision-making.
  

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

• Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering Production Management or a related field.
  
• Masters degree or MBA preferred.
  
• Certification in APICS (CPIM/CSCP) or equivalent is highly desirable.
  

Experience:

• Minimum 1015 years of experience in production planning manufacturing operations or supply chain management preferably within defense aerospace or heavy manufacturing sectors.
  
• Proven track record in multi-site or group-level planning oversight.
  
• Hands-on experience with ERP/MES systems (SAP Oracle IFS or equivalent).
  
• Demonstrated success in process improvement planning automation and cross-functional leadership.
  

Skills and Competencies:

• Deep knowledge of production planning methodologies capacity management and scheduling logic.
  
• Strong understanding of defense manufacturing standards compliance and traceability requirements.
  
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis Excel/Power BI and planning software tools.
  
• Excellent analytical problem-solving and stakeholder management skills.
  
• Ability to influence and drive change across multiple subsidiaries and organizational levels.
  
• Strong communication leadership and training capabilities.
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Improvement in group-level schedule adherence and on-time delivery rates.
  
• Reduction in production lead times and work-in-progress (WIP).
  
• Increase in capacity utilization and planning accuracy.
  
• Implementation success of standardized planning procedures and digital tools.