Specialist, Manufacturing Development and Production Planning

Electra Aero • Manassas, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Electra is developing the EL9 Ultra Short, a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft capable of taking off and landing in 150 feet. This aircraft utilizes blown-lift aerodynamics and distributed electric propulsion to access numerous new locations, offering direct aviation without the typical airport constraints, noise, or emissions. Electra has filed for FAA Part 23 type certification, holds over 2,200 pre-orders, and is supported by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran. Bristow Group has secured the first EL9 delivery slot, with test flights planned for 2027 and certification targeted for late 2029 to 2030. The company is seeking a Director of Manufacturing Development and Production Planning to oversee the timely, cost-effective, and high-rate production of the EL9. This role involves building the production master schedule from initial conforming articles through ramp-up, managing recurring and non-recurring cost performance, modeling the production learning curve, and owning the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process to align customer demand with manufacturing capacity. The Director will also establish line balance, takt time, and lead time targets for the manufacturing organization. This is a foundational planning role, requiring close collaboration with the Director of Manufacturing Engineering on build plans and tooling, the VP of Industrialization & Manufacturing Strategy on capacity planning and digital manufacturing, the VP of Supply Chain on material availability, and Programs and Engineering on milestone integration.

Requirements

• 10+ years of production planning, manufacturing development, or related experience in aerospace or another regulated, high-complexity manufacturing sector
• Direct experience building a production master schedule for a new aircraft or comparable complex product - not just maintaining one
• Working fluency with Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) and / or Theory of Constraints
• Demonstrated ownership of RC/NRC cost controls at the program level
• Experience modeling and managing production learning curves
• Strong S&OP experience, including the operating cadence and the cross-functional integration that makes it work
• Practical knowledge of line balancing, takt time, and lead time analysis
• Track record of building and developing planning teams
• Comfort operating across the strategic and tactical layers - this role requires a leader who can present a multi-year ramp plan to the CEO on Monday and resolve a takt-time problem on the floor on Tuesday
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

• Experience standing up production planning for a clean-sheet aircraft program through Part 23 or Part 25 certification
• Hybrid-electric, electric, or other novel propulsion program experience
• MRP/ERP system fluency (SAP, Oracle, or comparable)
• Lean / TPS / Six Sigma background
• Familiarity with digital factory tools and the data architecture behind production planning
• MBA or equivalent business education
• Prior experience scaling a production planning function from prototype through serial production

Responsibilities

• Build and own the EL9 production master schedule, from prototype through first conforming articles and into rate production
• Apply Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) and Theory of Constraints principles to manage schedule risk and protect program milestones
• Develop and manage the production learning curve model for the EL9, calibrating assumptions and tracking actuals against plan
• Own the recurring and non-recurring cost (RC/NRC) controls for production, partnering with Finance and the manufacturing organization to track performance and surface variances early
• Define and own production lead time and cycle targets across major assemblies and final assembly
• Lead line balancing and takt time analysis, working with Manufacturing Engineering to translate build plan into a producible flow
• Build and run the S&OP process, integrating customer demand, supply chain capacity, manufacturing capacity, and engineering readiness into a single operating plan
• Develop the production planning team and the operating cadence that gives the executive team visibility into schedule, cost, and capacity performance
• Partner with the Director of Manufacturing Engineering on build plan integration and with the VP of Supply Chain on material requirements planning
• Establish the dashboards, metrics, and reporting that connect daily execution to program-level commitments

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• STD, LTD, and life insurance
• 401(k) with immediate vesting
• Generous PTO, company holidays, and a paid winter break
• Free catered lunches, coffee, and snacks at our Manassas headquarters
• The chance to build the production plan for an aircraft program that will change how people and goods move

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees