Director of Forecast & Production Control

Airbus • Grand Prairie, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Airbus Helicopters is seeking an experienced MRO Forecast & Production Control Leader to oversee forecasting and production control for a $50M+ aerospace MRO facility. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of MRO, this role owns the Master Production Schedule (MPS), leads the MRO Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) cadence, and translates commercial and military demand into unit and elementary-part forecasts across five specialized repair shops: Dynamic Components, Blades, Tailbooms, Composites, and Avionics. The role focuses on meeting turnaround-time targets, improving material availability, managing capacity and labor models, and maximizing shop throughput.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a business-related field such as Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or Business Administration, or an equivalent combination of education and MRO/aerospace industry experience.
• At least 12 years of experience in production planning, master scheduling, or capacity management in aerospace/defense MRO, aircraft maintenance, or production.
• At least 5 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and motivate cross-functional planning and logistics teams.
• Strong financial acumen, critical thinking, and decisive judgment in fast-paced operational situations.
• Excellent customer-centric communication and negotiation skills with commercial and military customer representatives.
• Excellent understanding of contractual obligations and a solid background in finance and financial reporting.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
• Experience with SAP or similar enterprise systems such as Oracle or Pentagon 2000 for MRO production control, work order management, and bills of materials.
• Experience with scheduling and analytics tools such as complex Excel financial/capacity models, Smartsheet, MS Project, and business intelligence software such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Authorized to work in the United States.
• Able to work 100% onsite in Grand Prairie, Texas when not traveling.
• Able to travel independently, including on short notice, for up to 10% domestic and international travel.
• Able to perform the listed physical activities and tasks, including daily walking through office and production areas, operating office and some production equipment, and carrying or lifting items up to 30 lb/14 kg.
• Able to use required personal protective equipment, which may include safety shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, respirators or masks, and protective gloves.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, or Business Administration, or technical specialization in Industrial Engineering, Production Management, or Advanced Data Analytics.
• 10+ years of progressive operations management experience within a multi-shop MRO facility with $50M+ annual volume.
• Experience managing complex multi-stream demand, including PBH, commercial T&M, military contracts, and rotable pool allocations.
• APICS/ASCM certification such as CPIM or CSCP.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the Master Production Schedule across all specialized MRO shops, ensuring adherence to turnaround-time targets.
• Own the MRO Sales & Operations Planning cadence and present consolidated volume expectations to executive leadership.
• Consolidate commercial PBH programs, military obligations, commercial Time & Material orders, and rotable pool replenishment needs into unified unit event forecasts.
• Translate unit-level forecasts into elementary-part demand models and refine K-factor accuracy to improve material availability and reduce excess inventory costs.
• Lead and mentor the Production Planning Manager and Data Analyst, providing leadership to a team of 4–5 specialists across planning, shop floor control, and MRO logistics coordination.
• Oversee shop floor execution priorities, WIP burndown strategies, nominal WIP levels, and bottleneck removal to maximize throughput.
• Convert unit- and part-level forecasts into capacity and manpower models, determining direct labor headcount, shift coverage, and skill-mix needs.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Procurement to develop K-factor-driven part forecasts and ensure long-lead materials and parts support planned shop inductions.
• Ensure material and service order readiness, including kitting, bill-of-materials integrity, and technical work packages, before work orders are released to the shop floor.
• Provide periodic performance reporting, S&OP metrics, and resource availability models to ExCom and senior leadership.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Incentive compensation, which may include profit-sharing schemes.
• Retirement savings plan and ability to participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Paid time off, including personal time and holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and supplemental coverage.
• Upskilling and development opportunities through the global Leadership University, including access to more than 10,000 e-learning courses.
• Opportunities for certifications, career development, accelerated development programs, and national and international mobility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director