Production Control Manager

JPL/NASA•Pasadena, CA

2d•$108,680 - $143,728•Onsite

About The Position

JPL invites a leader to serve as Group Supervisor for the Production Control Group within the Logistics and Operations Planning Section of the Facilities and Logistics Operations Division. This primary management role is responsible for direct staff supervision, policy execution, and the strategic performance of laboratory transport and material movement assets. The manager supervises daily operations, assigns tasks, coordinates schedules and material readiness, and ensures compliant delivery of production control services across the Laboratory. The role oversees production control, planning, and scheduling activities, including production lifecycle execution, material availability, inventory and configuration control, master scheduling, capacity planning, and operational performance reporting. It coordinates across Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Quality, Program Leadership, Manufacturing, Maintenance Operations, and institutional logistics to support Laboratory operations and program delivery. The position also supports specialized planning for flight hardware, space electronics, metrology systems, high-reliability builds, and new product introduction, while advancing continuous improvement and operational transparency. JPL is located in Pasadena, California, on a 177-acre campus in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The nature of the work may require occasional non-standard hours to meet critical project deadlines and operational requirements. The position requires U.S. citizenship. The typical full-time equivalent annual hiring range in Pasadena is $108,680–$143,728.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related discipline, plus at least 2 years of lead experience in a manufacturing, production control, or logistics environment; alternatively, a master’s degree plus at least 2 years of lead experience.
Proven experience leading daily operational tasks and workflows for teams in complex manufacturing or technical environments.
Strong proficiency with MRP/ERP systems, shop floor execution systems, BOM management, and production scheduling; Oracle is preferred.
Ability to collaborate across functional teams, resolve material and schedule conflicts, and drive execution in a dynamic, multi-program environment.
Strong analytical skills, including data manipulation, capacity tracking, and operational metric reporting.
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to gain the cooperation of others.
Must be a U.S. citizen.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Operations, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field.
8–10 years of professional experience in production control, planning, scheduling, manufacturing, or supply chain.
Experience in aerospace, defense, electronics hardware manufacturing, or government contracting environments.
Direct experience supporting NASA or DoD flight hardware programs, including familiarity with NASA property and materials management standards and NPR 7120.5 flight project management policies.
Experience with Oracle MRP/ERP, Power BI, Tableau, Business Warehouse, or advanced planning tools.
Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and continuous improvement methodologies.
Experience with electronics PWA and PWB assembly, integration, and test operations.
Background in satellite, spacecraft component, metrology, or instrumentation production.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of direct-report JPL employees, hourly staff, and/or contractors across Production Control, Planning, and Scheduling.
Establish goals, performance measures, training plans, and career development strategies; monitor staff activities and make decisions or weighted recommendations regarding hiring, promotions, salary changes, appraisals, and coaching.
Build a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on safety, reliability, accountability, communication, and customer focus.
Oversee production lifecycle activities, including work order release, shop floor confirmation, WIP tracking, and material staging and consumption reconciliation.
Manage material availability analysis, kit readiness, inventory consolidation, BOM accuracy, material master integrity, and configuration control.
Coordinate kitting across inventory distribution points, consolidation areas, and shared resource work centers.
Maintain compliance with internal policies, NASA regulations, government property accountability, and audit readiness standards.
Coordinate disposition of non-conforming materials, engineering changes, and special handling items in alignment with Safety and Mission Assurance and Technical Authority protocols.
Own the master production schedule, priorities, and load plan for daily factory activity and long-range planning.
Maintain ERP/MRP planning parameters, including lot sizing, safety stock, Kanban strategies, inventory targets, lead times, and capacity constraints.
Manage WIP, resolve stalled jobs, develop recovery plans, and de-conflict schedules with operational constraints, including mission-freeze periods.
Represent Production Control and Planning in S&OP cycles and cross-functional planning forums.
Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Quality, Program Leadership, Manufacturing, and Maintenance Operations.
Coordinate with institutional Logistics Management on stewardship and lifecycle management of personal property, flight hardware, and Government-Furnished Material, including receipt, identification, tracking, safeguarding, discrepancy resolution, and custody transfer.
Lead cross-functional resolution of material shortages, supply risks, and schedule conflicts affecting on-time delivery.
Present operational status, constraints, risk mitigations, and schedule metrics in project meetings and technical briefings.
Use data analysis, queries, trending, and metrics to identify bottlenecks, support root-cause corrective actions, and measure effectiveness.
Maintain and refine work-center capacity models, tracking labor utilization, equipment loading, yields, and resource constraints.
Track and report KPIs such as material order coverage, aging work orders, WIP flow and cycle time, MRP end-item deliverables, schedule adherence, and inventory accuracy.
Improve operational transparency through web-based digital workflow systems, automated task and work-order lifecycles, and real-time data reporting.
Support specialized program planning for flight hardware, space electronics, metrology systems, high-reliability builds, and new product introduction.
Translate functional plans into executable daily shop operations aligned with task budgets, capacity, and program milestones.
Champion workflow improvement using Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, and Theory of Constraints methodologies.
Represent the Production Control organization on Laboratory committees and working groups as assigned.