Senior Manager, Planning

Stellant Systems•Torrance, CA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

Stellant Systems is a premier manufacturer of critical power amplification products, specializing in microwave devices for ground-based, airborne, and satellite communications, as well as industrial and medical equipment and radar. They are the sole U.S. supplier of space-qualified Traveling Wave Tube and Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers, combining cutting-edge technology with world-class engineering. The company emphasizes core values, inclusivity, and continuous innovation, serving customers in the defense industry, U.S. and allied militaries, and medical communities. This Senior Manager, Planning role is a key position overseeing the planning organization at the Stellant Torrance, CA facility. The focus is on leading a team of planning professionals to drive on-time delivery, material readiness, and schedule execution across the manufacturing enterprise. The role combines forward-looking production and material planning with real-time shop floor control, serving as the primary escalation point for material issues and operational disruptions. The ideal candidate should possess aerospace or defense manufacturing experience, MRP system fluency, and proven people leadership skills. This role requires an understanding of procurement, planning, and manufacturing processes, budgeting and financial acumen, strategic and critical thinking, strong leadership, interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or related field; or equivalent aerospace/defense experience.
10+ years of planning or operations experience in aerospace, defense, or complex manufacturing.
5+ years of direct people management experience including performance management and team development.
Hands-on MRP/ERP experience with ability to manage parameters and drive data integrity (SAP, Oracle, Infor, or equivalent).
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with Power BI or similar reporting tools preferred.
Knowledge of production planning and inventory management principles.
High level of attention to detail and excellent time management skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident) per ITAR requirements.

Nice To Haves

APICS CPIM or CSCP certification (or active pursuit).
Experience in space, satellite, missile, or defense manufacturing environments.
Familiarity with AS9100, EVMS, and/or Lean Six Sigma methodologies.
Experience managing planners in a mixed make/buy environment with long-lead and critical path materials.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and manage a team of planners; assign workloads, conduct performance management, and resolve most escalations independently without senior leadership involvement.
Ensure tools, processes, and staff are aligned to business needs.
Establish and maintain an effective and clearly defined training plan for the planning team.
Oversee master production scheduling (MPS) aligned to customer delivery commitments, capacity constraints, and demand signals from S&OP.
Serve as functional MRP owner: manage parameters (lot sizing, lead times, safety stock), analyze and drive exception message closure, and maintain system data integrity.
Monitor real-time shop floor execution; identify schedule deviations early, manage work order priorities, and coordinate corrective actions to protect on-time delivery.
Proactively identify material shortages and long-lead risks; partner with Procurement to drive mitigation strategies and own the material risk log through closure.
Develop and publish planning KPIs — schedule adherence, kit delivery, MRP exception rates, material shortages and availability, EACs (estimate at completion), proposal material analysis — and create dashboards that provide leadership visibility into planning health.
Analyze metrics and drive root cause / corrective actions to address any performance gaps.
Represent Planning in program reviews, customer milestone meetings, and cross-functional operations forums.
Identify opportunities for process improvements and cost reductions within the material planning organization through use of lean tools, standard work and training.
Communicate material plans, forecasts, and strategies to senior management and key stakeholders.
Ensure supplier materials meet program schedules, tracking deliveries, monitoring forecasts, and integrating with internal production/planning.
Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, optimize costs, support proposal efforts, manage budgets and perform EAC analysis.
Collaborate with internal teams (engineering, finance, operations, program management, purchasing and planning) to align strategies and resolve complex issues.
Develops and maintains excellent relationships with Supply Chain peers and other internal stakeholders.
Leverages Stellant continuous process improvement methodologies and looks to drive continuous improvement and best-in-class planning performance.
Foster a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
Provide training and development opportunities to enhance team skills.