Lead Planner - Fabrication Engineering Group (Specialist II)

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Pension (MIT funded)

401K matching

Paid leave (vacation, sick, parental,)

Education & training programs

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory seeks a Lead Planner in the Fabrication Engineering Group to drive planning, supplier coordination, and prototype manufacturing from planning through assembly and delivery.

You will partner with program teams, shop leads, and the planning group to optimize fabrication schedules, manage costs, and ensure readiness of materials and tooling for PCBA, cable assemblies, machined chassis, and electro-mechanical builds.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in program management, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, hardware development, or related areas.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment with evolving requirements and priorities.
• Strong project management, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with both technical and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain cross-functional plans spanning Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, and Integration.
• Coordinate master development and production schedules, translating engineering requirements into material and procurement plans.
• Manage relationships with key suppliers, tracking commitments, milestones, capacity, cost, quality, and delivery.
• Drive manufacturing readiness by ensuring materials, tooling, fixtures, and labor are available; develop manufacturing data packages.
• Provide manufacturing, supply-chain, cost, and schedule input to design reviews and development decisions.
• Track cost performance, identify cost drivers, and support supplier negotiations, quotations, and make/buy decisions.
• Establish scalable processes, tools, and metrics for integrated planning and prototype manufacturing execution.
• Drive continuous improvement through metrics and standardized build/readiness processes.

Skills

Program management

Manufacturing operations

Supply chain planning

Cross-functional leadership

Communications skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

PLM

MES

Job description

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Lead Planner - Fabrication Engineering Group (Specialist II)

The Fabrication Engineering Group (72) provides rapid fabrication, assembly, integration, and test of advanced hardware prototypes for national security applications. Examples include the precision machining of fiber mounts for airborne high energy laser systems, multi-functional structures using additive processes for ground-based radar systems, custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) for space-borne data processing, and highly integrated mechanical packaging for undersea communication terminals. The group concentrates on high-complexity parts, quick-turn capabilities, and activities that require concurrent engineering with program teams. Core mechanical competencies span precision fabrication, additive manufacturing, and 5-axis machining. Core PCB capabilities include automated solder paste dispensers, precise pick-n-place machines, and automated optical inspection systems. Assembly, integration, and test capabilities include integration spaces, clean rooms, vibration testing, thermal testing, and space simulation chambers. The Group focuses on state-of-practice prototyping capabilities, technical excellence, exceptional collaboration, and outstanding operation.

Job Description

The Fabrication Engineering Group seeks a talented, creative, and motivated individual to strengthen the Group’s ability to provide rapid and innovative solutions to challenging problems. The successful candidate is a cross-functional leader responsible for driving the operational execution of engineering development and prototype manufacturing from planning through assembly, integration, and delivery. This role integrates program management, supply chain planning, supplier management, engineering manufacturing execution, and operational readiness to ensure prototype hardware is delivered to programs on time, within budget, and to the required quality and technical specifications. The successful candidate will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team including program team members, shop area leads, and the planning team to optimize and effectively execute shop operations to develop a prototype system. A unique aspect of MIT LL is that we develop prototype systems rather than high volume production. The role of the Lead Planner will focus on effective execution in a job shop environment. The ideal candidate will partner with the program planning team to continuously improve fabrication schedule alignment to program needs as well as optimize utilization of Fabrication Engineering resources and ensure a smooth transition from planning to fabrication of prototypes. The position serves as the operational bridge between Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and external suppliers. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing an integrated program schedule, managing cost and capacity constraints, working through supplier issues, and getting into the details of a PCBA, cable assembly, machined chassis, or electro-mechanical build. The role will establish and maintain the planning and execution infrastructure required to translate engineering development plans into executable manufacturing and supply-chain activities.

• Program Operations and Integrated Planning - Develop and maintain cross-functional plans spanning Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, and Integration
• Supply Chain and Master Scheduling – Coordinate master development and production schedules, translating engineering requirements, BOMs, and program milestones into material and procurement plans. Drive material readiness, identify and mitigate supply-chain risks, and coordinate configuration change management as it affects supply chain partners and manufacturing areas.
• Vendor and Supplier Management – Manage operational relationships with key component and prototype manufacturing suppliers, including commitments, milestones, capacity, cost, quality, and delivery.
• Prototype Manufacturing Execution – Drive manufacturing readiness by ensuring materials, tooling, fixtures, documentation, and labor are available. Develop manufacturing data packages for prototype assemblies.
• Engineering and Design Collaboration – Provide manufacturing, supply-chain, cost, and schedule input to design reviews and development decisions.
• Cost Management – Track cost performance, identify cost drivers and reduction opportunities, and support supplier negotiations, quotation analysis, and make/buy decisions.
• Operational Excellence
  • Establish scalable processes, tools, and metrics for integrated planning, material readiness, supplier management and prototype manufacturing execution.
  • Drive continuous improvement through operational metrics, standardized build/readiness processes, and lessons learned.

Requirments

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably within STEM discipline
• 5+ years of experience in program management, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, hardware development, or a combination of these disciplines
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with evolving requirements and priorities.
• Strong project management, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and business stakeholder

Preferred Experience (not required)

• Experience managing complex hardware development or prototype manufacturing programs from early engineering prototype through qualification, and pilot production, including managing cost, schedule, material readiness, operational risk, and lean manufacturing principles.
• Experience developing and managing integrated schedules involving engineering, procurement, suppliers, manufacturing, and integration; ERP/MRP, PLM, MES, or integrated planning systems; master scheduling, capacity planning.
• Experience with the following: PCBA, cable/harness manufacturing, CNC machining, sheet metal/chassis fabrication, electro-mechanical assembly, integration, or functional test.
• Experience with supplier/vendor management and external manufacturing partners.

Hiring Range: $100,600 - $136,200

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT-funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.