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 and empowers employees to take responsibility for their jobs and goals.
• Coaches, mentors, engage and develop the team, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and learning opportunities.
• Sets performance standards and encourages employee engagement and results through delegation, continuous feedback, goal setting, and performance management.
• Maintains transparent communication. Appropriately communicates organization information through department meetings, one-on-one meetings, and appropriate email, and regular interpersonal communication.
• Provides oversight and direction to the employees in accordance with AEVEX's policies and procedures.
• Proven ability to build, develop, and mentor high-performing planning and warehouse teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with bias for action and data-driven tradeoffs.
• Effective communicator who can interface with executives, program managers, engineers, and shop-floor teams.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-mix, growth environment with frequent engineering changes and evolving customer needs.

Education / Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Business, or related field; Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• 8+ years of experience in production planning, materials management, or operations in a complex manufacturing environment
• 3-5+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or unmanned systems manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Experience with WMS and barcoding/RFID is a plus.

Physical Requirements

Frequently required to sit, and to reach to use computers and other office equipment
Occasionally required to stand for extended periods of time

Security Clearance

• Ability to obtain/maintain a Secret DoD clearance, U.S. Citizenship required.

About AEVEX

AEVEX, headquartered in Solana Beach, California, supports the U.S. national security mission and partner nation needs around the world by providing full-spectrum aviation, remote sensing, and analysis solutions. The company's capabilities include custom design and engineering; rapid prototyping; sensor integration and sustainment; aircraft modification and certification; flight test instrumentation and support; mission operations service; advanced intelligence data processing, exploitation, and dissemination solutions; and tailored hardware and software mission-system tools. AEVEX uses agile and customized approaches to rapidly define, develop, and deliver specialized solutions for airborne special mission needs for the U.S. Government, partner nations, and commercial businesses. AEVEX has major offices in California, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.

AEVEX provides a full suite of comprehensive benefits, including a 401(k)-retirement plan, comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability and Life insurance group coverage with a portion of the premiums paid by the company, professional development funds, and an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) with counseling, legal help, child and elder care support, among other benefits for qualified employees.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

AEVEX is an Equal Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religious creed, color, sex (including pregnancy, breast feeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, military and veteran status, marital status, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, physical disability, mental disability, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at AEVEX? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.
Create alert