Production Planner, Electro-Mechanical Defense Tech

nLIGHT; Longmont (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks PTO per year

11 paid holidays

Employee stock purchase plan

Tuition assistance

Health, Vision & Dental paid by EMP (

Paid family leave

Short and long-term disability

401k with company match

Job summary

nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. in Longmont, CO is seeking a Production Planner to transform engineering release schedules and BOM structures into actionable production and procurement plans. You will coordinate in-house assemblies and external buys, aligning with 1–2 year program timelines and cross-functional teams.

Applicants must have 5+ years in production planning, with a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Experience with MRP/ERP (preferably D365) and PLM is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in production planning, manufacturing planning, or a similar operations role.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Operations, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or similar.
• Proficiency with MRP/ERP systems. Experience with D365 and a PLM system is strongly preferred.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, BOMs, release packages, and configuration changes.
• Experience coordinating long-lead procurement activities and aligning plans with multi-year program schedules.
• Strong communication skills and experience working cross-functionally with Engineering, Program Management, Procurement, and shop-floor teams.

Responsibilities

• Convert engineering release schedules and evolving BOMs into actionable production plans and procurement requests using ERP and MRP solutions.
• Plan and manage in-house assemblies and out-of-house buys, coordinating material availability across 1 to 2-year program timelines.
• Develop and maintain task-level build schedules for technicians, ensuring alignment with overall program milestones.
• Monitor production progress, identify schedule risks, and communicate updates to Engineering, Program Management, and Procurement.
• Coordinate long-lead part planning, up to 6-month lead time, to ensure alignment with program schedules.
• Participate in routine cross-functional cadences, driving schedule adherence, resolving shortages, and supporting shop-floor execution.

Skills

Quality engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Schedule management

ERPs / MRP systems

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Operations/Industrial Engineering/Supply Chain/Business

Tools

MRP/ERP systems

D365

PLM system

Microsoft Project

Power BI

Job description

nLIGHT-DEFENSE Systems, Inc. in Longmont, CO is seeking a Production Planner to transform engineering release schedules and BOM structures into actionable production and procurement plans. You will coordinate in-house assemblies and external buys, aligning with 1–2 year program timelines and cross-functional teams.

Applicants must have 5+ years in production planning, with a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Experience with MRP/ERP (preferably D365) and PLM is highly valued.