Senior Production Scheduler for Defense Tech Manufacturing

Aston Carter; Germantown (MD); On-site; USD 83,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development support

Life and disability insurance

9/80 schedule

Job summary

Aston Carter seeks a Senior Production Planner to develop and execute the Master Production Schedule, coordinating with production, contracts, and program management to meet delivery commitments. This role focuses on stable scheduling, capacity alignment, and continuous improvement in a defense-oriented manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years in production planning within technical manufacturing, strong MRP and SAP expertise, and proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in supply chain, production planning, logistics, or a related field.
• Extensive experience in production planning within a technical manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in project material management and material planning.
• Solid understanding of business processes and functional inter-relationships across supply chain, manufacturing, and program management.
• Excellent understanding of MRP systems and their application to complex manufacturing operations.
• Proficiency with SAP or similar enterprise resource planning tools.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables, as well as proficiency in PowerPoint and Word.
• Experience using SharePoint for collaboration and document management.
• Experience in aerospace and defense manufacturing or automotive industry, or similar technical manufacturing environments.
• Ability to perform cost analysis and use data to support planning and decision-making.
• Experience with schedule planning, material planning, and work order management.
• Ability to work effectively in a mission-driven, defense technology or advanced manufacturing environment.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Defense security clearance within a reasonable time after hire.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage the Master Production Schedule (MPS) based on production capacity, material availability, and contractual requirements.
• Obtain alignment and agreement from production, materials, and program office teams before executing the MPS.
• Maintain and update all MPS files to ensure accurate and current scheduling information.
• Drive closeout of completed programs and jobs, including disposition of requisitions, purchase orders, and residual inventory.
• Monitor shipping performance against the MPS and contractual commitments and develop tracking reports to measure adherence.
• Track and report the number and nature of changes to each MPS to support continuous improvement and transparency.
• Interface with contracts, planning, master scheduling, and production teams to create and maintain the Internal Operating Plan (IOP).
• Ensure product flows smoothly from production through packaging to shipping, resolving bottlenecks and delays.
• Create reports that compare actual shipments against projections to support data-driven decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing to establish and evolve a stable, efficient manufacturing schedule.
• Identify opportunities to improve current systems, functions, and daily operations to more effectively meet organizational goals.
• Reschedule daily delivery requirements when issues arise, re-planning as needed to meet internal needs and contractual obligations.
• Consolidate demand for purchase requisitions to optimize procurement and material planning.
• Support, communicate, and uphold the mission, values, and culture of the organization.
• Engage effectively with Senior and VP-level leadership, providing clear, polished communication on schedule status, risks, and opportunities.

Skills

MRP systems

SAP

Advanced Excel

PowerPoint

SharePoint

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

SharePoint

Job description

Aston Carter seeks a Senior Production Planner to develop and execute the Master Production Schedule, coordinating with production, contracts, and program management to meet delivery commitments. This role focuses on stable scheduling, capacity alignment, and continuous improvement in a defense-oriented manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years in production planning within technical manufacturing, strong MRP and SAP expertise, and proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and