Director of Planning

Gradel Professional Search; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Our client in Fort Worth, TX seeks a Director of Planning to transform maintenance requirements into executable schedules anchored by milestones, manpower, and material readiness. You will lead a team, drive IMS development, and ensure seamless integration with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.

The ideal candidate brings hands-on aircraft planning with MPD and CAMP, plus a track record of building reliable schedules for complex aircraft programs.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in aircraft MRO, heavy maintenance, aircraft modification, or related aviation operations.
• Direct aircraft planning experience, including MPD and CAMP.
• Experience developing work packages and converting maintenance requirements into production schedules.
• Experience managing schedule flow, program milestones, dependencies, critical paths, and turnaround plans.
• Strong background in capacity and resource planning including manpower, skills, materials, tooling, and facilities.
• Experience developing and maintaining Integrated Master Schedules for complex aircraft programs.
• Understanding cross-functional impacts of maintenance, engineering, quality, supply chain, and material readiness on schedules.
• Experience tracking planned vs actual labor, earned hours, schedule performance, constraints, and recovery actions.
• Proficiency with ERP, MRO planning, scheduling, and performance-reporting systems.
• Experience leading planning teams and coordinating across functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead long-, medium-, and short-range planning for maintenance and modification programs.
• Translate MPD requirements, CAMP data, customer work scopes, and engineering requirements into executable work packages and schedules.
• Develop and maintain the Integrated Master Schedule with inductions, milestones, dependencies, and critical-path activities.
• Establish schedule flow from induction through maintenance, modifications, testing, and return to service.
• Build capacity and resource plans based on manpower, skills, hours, materials, tooling, and priorities.
• Ensure work packages are defined, staffed, and ready before release to production.
• Integrate parts, materials, tooling, equipment, and engineering readiness into the production schedule.
• Monitor planned vs actual labor, hours, and schedule adherence; manage constraints and recovery actions.
• Identify schedule risks and coordinate recovery with Ops, Eng, Quality, Supply Chain, and PM.
• Maintain planning data and forecasts within ERP and MRO systems; improve planning standards and accuracy.
• Build and develop the planning team and establish consistent planning processes and controls.

Skills

Aircraft planning

MPD

CAMP

Integrated Master Schedule

ERP systems

MRO planning systems

Resource planning

Tools

Microsoft Project

Primavera P6

Job description

Our client is a growing aircraft MRO and conversion company seeking a Director of Planning to strengthen its aircraft planning function. Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will turn aircraft maintenance requirements and modification work scopes into executable schedules built around clear milestones, available manpower, planned man-hours, and material readiness. The right candidate will bring hands-on aircraft planning experience with Maintenance Planning Documents (MPDs) and CAMP.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead long-, medium-, and short-range planning for aircraft maintenance and modification programs.
• Translate MPD requirements, CAMP data, customer work scopes, and engineering requirements into executable work packages and production schedules.
• Develop and maintain the Integrated Master Schedule, including aircraft inductions, milestones, dependencies, critical-path activities, and completion targets.
• Establish schedule flow from aircraft induction through maintenance, modification, testing, and return to service.
• Build capacity and resource plans based on available manpower, required skills, planned man-hours, facilities, tooling, and production priorities.
• Ensure work packages are properly defined, sequenced, staffed, and supported before release to production.
• Integrate parts, materials, tooling, equipment, technical data, and engineering readiness into the production schedule.
• Monitor planned versus actual labor, task completion, earned hours, schedule adherence, constraints, and aircraft turnaround.
• Identify schedule risks and coordinate recovery plans with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Modifications, Finance, and Program Management.
• Maintain accurate planning data and forecasts within approved ERP and MRO systems.
• Improve planning standards, labor estimates, task durations, capacity models, reporting, and schedule accuracy.
• Build and develop the planning team while establishing consistent planning processes, controls, and accountability.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience in aircraft MRO, heavy maintenance, aircraft modification, production planning, or related aviation operations.
• Direct aircraft planning experience, including the use of Maintenance Planning Documents and CAMP.
• Demonstrated experience developing aircraft work packages and converting maintenance requirements into detailed production schedules.
• Experience managing schedule flow, program milestones, dependencies, critical paths, and aircraft turnaround plans.
• Strong background in capacity and resource planning, including manpower, skill requirements, man-hours, materials, tooling, and facilities.
• Experience developing and maintaining Integrated Master Schedules for complex aircraft programs.
• Strong understanding of how maintenance, modifications, engineering, quality, supply chain, and material readiness affect aircraft schedules.
• Experience tracking planned versus actual labor, earned hours, schedule performance, constraints, and recovery actions.
• Proficiency with ERP, MRO, planning, scheduling, and performance-reporting systems.
• Experience leading planning teams and coordinating across operational and tech