Materials Planning Principal (Manager)

Job Description Reporting to the Materials Manager, the Material Planning Manager will oversee the material planning department for the Aiken facility. The incumbent will manage the internal demands for materials and capabilities to positively impact BAE systems programs. As a Material Planning Principle, you will be responsible for proactive material readiness, reporting on availability, and visibility of impacts. This role requires interaction with other cross-functional teams such as: Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Scheduling, and Material Handling.

• Responsible for operational leadership of the planning department.
• Accountable to meet or exceed the safety, quality delivery, employee, and cost expectations for all internal and external customers.
• Oversees material resource for production plan for finished goods, convert into production requirements for subassemblies, components, and raw materials needed to produce the final product within established schedule.
• Ensures the planning team material releases are performed in a timely manner and seek resolution for constraints preventing the team to meet that goal.
• Accountable for internal communications of planning items to ensure timely and satisfactory resolution of product delivery and availability problems.
• Responsible for the leadership of a project, portions of multiple projects, within established guidelines.
• Manages and control production planning performance metrics through visual daily management standards ensuring alignment with manufacturing needs.
• Brief senior management on planning philosophy and be the key point of contact for material planning matters.
• Lead all continuous improvement initiatives related to the materials planning department and serve as a process champion through collaboration with other departments/sites.
• Responsible for planning strategy to meet volume and customer’s delivery commitments.
• Forecast, review, and eliminate excess and obsolete inventory through the recommended or implemented risk mitigations.
• Review forecasted demand and compare against actual build requirements and deconflict with planners or value stream managers as required.
• Liaise with external customers to ensure part updates and requirements are communicated.
• Create storyboards to brief senior program leadership of the challenges to the vehicle production lines.
• Conduct multiple process improvement projects to remove or improve antiquated processes or procedures within the materials section.
• Create reports to see forecasted demand in the future to review the load balancing of part requirements.
• Facilitate an operational planning team to discuss part changes, ECO changes and other long-term strategy to reduce capacity constraints for materials in the system.
• Improve OSP process and establish a mid-term and long-term strategy for parts to reduce the pressures of capacity constraints.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• 10+ years of supervisory experience as well as MRP/ERP planning experience with high school diploma, 8+ years of experience with Associates degree, 6+ years of experience with Bachelor’s degree, 4+ years of experience with Master’s degree, and 2+ years of experience with PhD
• Extensive expertise, and full knowledge of planning techniques and processes
• Impeccable work ethic, flexible, hands-on, and demonstrated adaptability
• Excellent analytical skills and capable of assessing complex data and applying it for problem resolution and continuous improvement
• A highly organized individual, who is self-motivated, and can work independently
• High level of initiative and strong work ethic
• Able to manage multiple tasks and priorities and easily adapt to changing situations
• Robust understanding of discrete manufacturing, bills of material, product lifecycle management, and supply chain operations, engineering flows
• Experience managing ECO changes and mass changes in MRP/ERP
• Ability to improve all aspects of the department, by streamlining steps, and benchmarking to best practices in the industry
• Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to brief senior leadership
• Ability to create an environment of trust, transparency, and engaged employees through development of Individual Development Plans, succession planning, and training/team building efforts
• Ability to provide data-driven decision support to the broader organization through what-if and scenario planning
• A good understanding of urgency and ability to escalate critical issues in a timely manner
• Advanced Excel skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Proven experience in working closely with both internal and external customers
• Project Management qualifications (experience initiating, leading, completing, and sustaining projects)

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Experience in forecasting or demand planning
• Experience in supply chain management
• Experience in defense and aerospace industry
• Working knowledge of Oracle
• Materials management (APICS) certification
• Lean Six Sigma Certifications
• SIOP experience

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $90373 - $153634

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems Platforms & Services BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

The Platforms & Services (P&S) sector under BAE Systems, Inc does the big stuff: the armored combat vehicles, naval guns, missile launchers, and naval ship repair…just to name a few. Our employees take pride in the work they do and why they do it. They are on the front lines every day, building our products to protect the lives of those who serve. We may be biased, but we think P&S does some of the coolest work around, and we think you will too.