Lead Planner

Pivotal•Palo Alto, CA

9d•$110,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market. Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal vehicles are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been in development, preparing to enter the market for over 10 years. We recently announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, planned for general release and scalable production in 2025. Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of technology investment today. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. We invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us. We are seeking an experienced, proactive Lead Planner to lead production planning, master scheduling, and material coordination for complex AS9100-regulated aerospace manufacturing programs. This role is responsible for balancing demand, capacity, and material availability to ensure schedule integrity and on-time delivery across multiple product lines. The Lead Planner serves as a key cross-functional integrator, partnering with Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, and Program Management to translate approved demand and configuration-controlled BOMs into executable production plans. This role drives proactive risk identification, evaluates material and capacity constraints, and implements mitigation plans to protect customer and contractual delivery commitments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree specific to Supply Chain Management, Operations Management or Industrial Engineering preferred
5+ years' experience or previous experience in manufacturing, automotive or aeronautic industry in a similar or related position in production control, planning, and scheduling in an electromechanical manufacturing environment (shop floor planning)
Strong computer skills, expertise in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets and ERP systems, EPICOR preferred
APICS Certification in CPIM, or CSCP preferred
Effective and creative problem-solver with strong initiative and excellent follow-through
Develop and maintain procedures and work instructions to support master planning and scheduling
Interface with sales, engineering, customer service, marketing, and manufacturing to resolve customer and facility build requirements
Constantly maintain, evaluate, recommend, and implement improvements in material requirements planning (MRP) to drive down inventory levels.
Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA.

Nice To Haves

Past experience in supply chain management in addition to shop floor planning experience
Attributes aligned with Core Values
Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily operations, identifying and mitigating risks through assessments and training, encouraging open dialogue on safety concerns, and continuously improving protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
Puts customers at the center of every action by deeply understanding their challenges, delivering exceptional value, and striving to exceed expectations to support their success as our core purpose.
Actively seeks and values diverse stakeholder perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication—committing to shared decisions for the greater good.
Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes while aligning actions with a clear understanding of success at every level.
Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical best practices to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support—balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain master production schedules (MPS) and detailed build plans aligned with program demand, capacity constraints, and contractual delivery requirements
Analyze and convert demand and forecast to executable activities (work orders) in ERP (EPICOR), build weekly and daily production schedules which result in production plans that minimize inventory investment, maximize productivity, and maximize customer service levels
Ensure material availability and MRP integrity through close coordination with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Manufacturing
Support production readiness reviews, rate readiness, and change impact assessments for new programs or ramping builds
Maintain compliant production planning documentation to support AS9100 audits and internal quality requirements
Provide clear communication of plan status, risks, and recovery actions to Operations, Program Management, and leadership
Drive continuous improvement in planning accuracy, material flow, and planning system effectiveness
Work with internal and external customers, vendors, stakeholders to ensure on-time delivery
Prepare clear-to-build, run-out reports to support cross-disciplinary decision-making
Meet with the supervisors to provide a weekly manufacturing schedule, release jobs (work orders) and communicate production schedules daily / weekly and work with them to determine the best planning methods
Keep the master production plan updated at all times, and publishes a summary with key figures (forecast, planned production, projected inventory) to all stakeholders.