Sr. Production Planning & Warehousing Manager

Work Arrangement

This is an onsite position. Occasional travel to suppliers, other manufacturing sites, and test locations may be required.

Job Overview

The Sr. Manager, Production Planning & Warehousing is responsible for development and execution of the Production Plan, scheduling, material kitting/flow, and warehousing activities for unmanned drone production, including airframes, payloads, GCS, and spares. The role ensures a synchronized end-to-end value stream—from demand signal through shipment—that delivers unmanned drone products on time, at cost, and in compliance with aerospace and defense requirements.

Essential Functions

• Lead and develop a team of production planners, material handlers, and receiving personnel.
• Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain – Material Planning and Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Programs, and Finance to ensure an integrated plan that supports new product introduction (NPI), engineering changes, and field retrofit campaigns.
• Support configuration control by ensuring planning and material flows are aligned to latest released BOMs, routings, and software/firmware versions.
• Provide clear status on work in process, material availability, and delivery commitments to internal and external stakeholders.
• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Own the site production plan for unmanned vehicles, ground control systems, and mission kit product lines, aligned to customer orders, program milestones, and sales forecast (SIOP, Master Schedule).
• Translate demand into executable production plans and finite schedules for assembly, integration, test, and configuration activities.
• In conjunction with Material Planning maintain MRP/ERP planning parameters (lead times, lot sizes, safety stock, planning BOMs) to balance availability, inventory, and capacity.
• Monitor adherence to schedule, identify bottlenecks and constraints (people, equipment, test assets, supplier deliveries), and drive recovery plans.
• Material Flow, Warehousing, and Logistics
• Own WIP, and raw material inventory strategy for the drone factory and associated kitting cells.
• Design and manage warehouse layout, storage strategies, and material flow to assembly, integration, and flight-test operations, optimizing safety, space utilization, and pick efficiency.
• Lead receiving, put-away, kitting, and line-side delivery processes; implement visual management and standard work.
• Implement and maintain robust inventory controls (cycle counts, physical inventory, reconciliation, root-cause and corrective actions for discrepancies).
• Ensure compliant handling, traceability, and storage of controlled items (ITAR/EAR, defense articles, serialized flight hardware, batteries, explosives/ordinance if applicable)..
• Operational Excellence & Systems
• Drive continuous improvement in planning, warehousing, and material flow using lean, Six Sigma, and theory of constraints tools.
• Serve as functional owner or SME for the ERP/MRP and warehouse management system (WMS) in the planning and warehouse domains.
• Develop and maintain standard work, procedures, and process controls to support scalability as drone production rates increase.
• Define and track KPIs such as on-time delivery (OTD), schedule adherence, days of inventory on hand (DIOH), inventory accuracy, warehouse productivity, and planning accuracy.
• Support audits and customer/government reviews (e.g., DCMA, DoD customers, ISO/AS9100) related to production planning, inventory, and material control.
• Perform other duties as required.
• Regular and reliable attendance on a full time basis [or in accordance with posted schedule].
• Responsible for exhibiting professional behavior with both internal and external business associates that reflects positively on the company and is consistent with the company's policies and practices.
• Embodies AEVEX’s cultural values and aligns daily actions with department goals and company culture.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Deep knowledge of MPS/MRP, capacity planning, and inventory management in an ERP environment (e.g. InFor, SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Epicor, IFS).
• Strong understanding of discrete, configure-to-order, or engineer-to-order manufacturing processes, preferably for electro-mechanical systems.
• Familiarity with AS9100/ISO quality systems and export control/ITAR requirements.
• Proficiency with Excel and planning/analytics tools

Leadership Competencies

• Directs and provides expert knowledge in the day-to-day function of the department.
• Identifies, recruits, and retains top-notch talent.
• Champions AEVEX’s culture a