Production Planning Engineer

Mclaurin Aerospace; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Work-life balance

Full insurance plan

11 holidays

Generous PTO

401k with match

Education assistance

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Mclaurin Aerospace in Houston, TX seeks a Production Planning Engineer to join NASA Johnson Space Center on the JETS II contract. The role focuses on planning and optimizing production across soft goods fabrication, electrical production, testing, and related services.

You will drive the MPS, capacity planning, and supply chain decisions, while communicating progress to stakeholders and leading cross-functional reviews. Experience in aerospace is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field with 5–10 years of related experience.
• Experience in manufacturing, assembly and testing of critical hardware.
• 10+ years of production planning or project management experience, preferably in aerospace.
• Familiarity with scheduling tools such as MS Project and Primavera.
• Familiarity with GD&T interpretation.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail; ability to work in an Agile environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for production and processing services, ensuring alignment with milestones and on-time deliveries.
• Communicate project progress, status, and potential issues to stakeholders and leadership.
• Serve as the planning focal for program hardware builds, from procurement through delivery.
• Lead cross-functional production planning reviews and provide regular status to senior leadership.
• Own capacity planning, make/buy decisions, and scenario modeling to inform critical path strategies.
• Drive proactive risk management by identifying and resolving bottlenecks and delays.
• Integrate planning activities within ERP/MRP/MES systems, ensuring configuration integrity.
• Collaborate with leadership to optimize build sequencing and resource allocation.
• Track production KPIs, generate dashboards, and deliver planning insights.
• Analyze production data to optimize lead times, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.
• Mentor junior team members and support their professional development.
• Perform additional job duties as assigned.

Skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Agile experience

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing or related field

Tools

MS Project

Primavera

Job description

Are you passionate about human space exploration, understanding the origins of the universe, and working with a passionate and diverse team to make a difference? If you are, we need you!

We need your talent, teamwork, and energy to help us achieve great things that inspire people all over the globe. We need you to bring creative ideas and diverse backgrounds to help us envision, shape, and deliver systems that will enable the exploration of space while benefiting people here on Earth. We are excited about what we do, and we need you on our team as we take on exciting challenges for NASA's pursuits in deep space exploration.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Production Planning Engineer to join our JETS II contract team at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

If selected you will:

• Develop and maintain the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for production and processing services (soft goods fabrication, electrical production, event support, testing, etc.), ensuring alignment with program milestones and on‑time deliveries.


• Communicating project progress, status, and potential issues to stakeholders and leadership


• Serve as the planning focal for program hardware builds, from procurement through delivery.


• Lead cross‑functional production planning reviews and provide regular status to senior leadership.


• Own capacity planning, make/buy decisions, and scenario modeling to inform critical path strategies.


• Drive proactive risk management by identifying and resolving bottlenecks and delays.


• Integrate planning activities within ERP/MRP/MES systems, ensuring configuration integrity.


• Collaborate with leadership to optimize build sequencing and resource allocation.


• Track production KPIs, generate dashboards, and deliver planning insights.


• Analyze production data to optimize lead times, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.


• Mentor junior team members and support their professional development.


• Perform additional job duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

This position has been posted at multiple levels. Depending on the candidate's experience, requirements, and business needs, we reserve the right to consider candidates at any level for which this position has been advertised.

• Typically requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree in Engineering and normally possess 5- 10 years of related experience. License and certification may be required.


• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field.


• Experience in manufacturing, assembly and testing of critical hardware.


• 10+ years of production planning or project management experience preferably in the aerospace field.


• Familiarity with engineering drawings and GD&T interpretation.


• Strong knowledge of scheduling tools (MS Project, Primavera).


• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and make informed scheduling decisions.


• Ability to demonstrate strong attention to detail.


• Experience working in an Agile work environment preferred.


• Demonstrated organization skills to meet tight deadlines with high quality results.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A resilient and proactive approach to problem solving


• Passion for space and the mission


• Entrepreneurial, growth mindset


• High EQ and ability to collaborate within teams and cross‑functionally


• Must be able to complete a U.S. government background investigation


• Management has the prerogative to select at any level for which the position is advertised


• Proof of U.S. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency is a requirement for this position


• Must be willing to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet critical project milestones

Benefits

• Competitive pay


• Positive work‑life balance


• 100% Employer paid insurance including: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, short‑term disability, and long‑term disability


• 11 paid holidays annually


• Generous PTO


• 401k after 12 months of service with employer match


• Education assistance


• Relocation assistance (if applicable)

Mclaurin is a unique organization with a special focus on combining the best features of research and industry in order to foster innovation. Our organization strongly supports research, publication, and engagement with the academic community. We encourage our employees to remain on the cutting edge of new developments in their respective disciplines.

US Citizenship and the ability to pass a comprehensive security background investigation is required.

Mclaurin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.