Production Planning Manager

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory • Cambridge, MA

124d • $117,500 - $293,750

About The Position

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. At Draper, we're shaping the future of national security and advanced technology. Our Operations team is looking for a master production scheduling manager, a strategic leader who will guide our scheduling team and oversee production planning across all Draper facilities. This is a management level role responsible for leading people, processes, and tools that ensure mission critical programs are delivered on time. You'll set direction for the master production scheduling function, provide coaching and mentorship to team members, and partner with stakeholders across engineering, supply chain, and program leadership to align capacity, materials, and delivery schedules.

Requirements

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing or guiding a team within operations, production planning, or scheduling.
• Deep knowledge of master production scheduling and ERP system management.
• Experience with high-mix, low-volume manufacturing operations.
• Strong understanding of production intervals, takt time, cycle times, and capacity planning.
• Skilled at building partnerships across diverse technical and functional groups.
• Proven ability to analyze data, generate insights, and translate them into actionable plans.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Bachelor's degree in industrial technology / industrial engineering or related technical field is preferred.
• 10 years manufacturing production experience with at least 5 years in production planning/scheduling and 2 years in master scheduling role.
• Background in materials planning, production control, or supply chain management.
• Experience driving process improvements using lean or Six Sigma methodologies.
• Familiarity with scenario planning, schedule products, and risk-based decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of production schedulers, providing coaching, guidance, and performance feedback.
• Develop and manage capacity planning (manpower, machinery, and materials) and scheduling tools to help identify capacity constraints.
• Set the vision and priorities for master production scheduling across Draper, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Coordinate and communicate daily/weekly/monthly production work priorities/schedules and revisions as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements across locations.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of enterprise-wide production schedules in the ERP system.
• Translate program demand plans into executable schedules while balancing labor capacity, material availability, and customer delivery requirements.
• Drive schedule fidelity, proactively identify risks, and implement mitigation plans to ensure on-time performance.
• Partner with program leadership, functional managers, and supply chain to align resources and resolve conflicts.
• Champion continuous improvement in scheduling practices, applying lean methodologies and data-driven insights.
• Communicate schedule performance and risks to senior leadership through metrics, reports, and recommendations.

Benefits

• Work-life balance programs including workplace flexibility.
• Employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga.
• Health and finance workshops.
• Off site social events.
• Discounts to local museums and cultural activities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree