Director of Planning

Ascent Aviation Services • Marana, AZ

6h • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Planning is responsible for the overall management of Planning, Production Control, and Operational Capacity. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), this position provides leadership for all planning operations within the business unit and is accountable for planning, quality, customer satisfaction, operational execution, workforce performance, and financial results. The Director of Planning leads the execution of long and short range schedules for accomplishing work packages in a timely and cost effective manner.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing planning teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage integrated schedules, production plans, resource requirements and performance metrics.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, decision making skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and operational constraints.

Nice To Haves

• Minimum 5 years of progressive aviation maintenance, MRO, or aerospace planning experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• Lean Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement certification.

Responsibilities

• Assists the Chief Operating Officer in developing and implementing policies, plans and programs to ensure effective scheduling and management of work packages
• Provides the COO and leadership team with visibility of capacity, schedule risks, resource requirements, and operational constraints.
• Converts customer, engineering, and work-scope requirements into executable production plans and establishes baselines for scope, schedule, labor, materials, and aircraft turnaround.
• Establishes realistic aircraft turnaround targets and monitors progress against approved plans, escalating schedule risks and constraints.
• Ensures that the necessary coordination within areas of responsibility is taking place. Analyzes and resolves work problems and remains available for consultation of matters relating to work being performed.
• Consults with all segments of management responsible for policy or action. Makes recommendations for improving execution of timelines or work scope
• Coordinate labor forecasting, tooling availability, and material readiness to match upcoming customer work scopes
• Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like plan adherence, man-hour utilization, and on-time aircraft redelivery.
• Manage and develop staff within the planning department through clear communication and expectations
• Partner with HR, Quality, Maintenance, Materials, Finance, and Facilities.
• Partner with Sales, Engineering, Quality, and Production Control teams to review work packages and resolve workflow bottlenecks.
• Maintain strong customer relationships and participate in operational reviews.
• Support contract discussions and resolve escalated customer concerns.
• Ensure compliance with FAA regulations and company procedures.
• Support audit readiness and corrective action programs.
• Own business unit financial performance, including revenue, margin, productivity, and labor efficiency.
• Develop budgets, forecasts, and resource plans.
• Identify cost reduction and profitability improvement opportunities.
• Lead Lean and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Use operational metrics to drive decision-making and performance improvements.
• Employees are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with company policies and government regulations.
• Employees shall participate in safety education programs and train to recognize hazards on the job and how to report them promptly.
• An employee who observes an unsafe action or condition should bring it to the attention of supervisors and managers.

Benefits

• 401K with Company Match
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• PTO - Eligible for 3 Weeks in your First Year, in Addition to 7 Paid Company Holidays
• Company-Provided Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance
• Development and Career Growth Opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Associate degree