Senior Supply Planner

Job Description

Job Description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. 

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands. 

We are seeking a Senior Supply Planner to own and execute the Master Production Schedule (MPS) for an assigned propulsion segment and to lead the integration of demand forecasting into our supply and production plans. This is the role that turns an agreed demand plan into an executable build plan, and then holds it together when reality moves. You will operate with minimal supervision, handle complex planning issues, and provide leadership and mentoring within the planning function.

As a Senior Supply Planner, you work the executional horizon and influence the tactical horizon. You take the demand plan agreed in the SIOP cycle, along with sales and marketing inputs, convert it into a time-phased and capacity-feasible supply plan, and release the Manufacturing Orders that put hardware in motion. You own the plan and the orders it produces: what gets built, in what quantity, in what sequence, and by when. Bills of material and their system-of-record integrity are owned by Materials Control, and you work with that team when a structure or an engineering change would block a release. You also provide guidance and coaching to more junior planners and coordinators as needed.

You operate inside an established SIOP cadence, with defined demand and supply reviews, published planning parameters, and a monthly calendar the business plans to.

Responsibilities:

• Own adherence to and execution of the Master Production Schedule for an assigned segment, translating the agreed demand plan into a time-phased, capacity-feasible supply plan.
• Release, sequence, and maintain Manufacturing Orders (MO) in the ERP against program need dates, material availability, and available capacity.
• Run MRP for the assigned segment and work the reschedule, cancel, and expedite messages it produces before shortages reach the floor.
• Maintain and improve planning parameters for the segment, including lead times, order policies, lot sizing, and safety stock, while meeting program service targets.
• Develop and refine replenishment and safety stock strategies for assigned inventory locations, including disposition of slow-moving and obsolete material.
• Drive resolution of supply shortages through root cause analysis and collaboration with Materials Control, Procurement, and Manufacturing, rather than through repeat expedites.
• Balance load against constraint resources with Production Control and escalate material or capacity constraints into the SIOP cycle with a recommended recovery option.
• Actively participate in the SIOP process, contributing end-to-end visibility for segment inventory, capacity outlook, and the risk scenarios that affect program delivery.
• Partner with Materials Control, who own bill of material and item master integrity, and with Procurement on long-lead and constrained material so purchasing signal comes from the plan.
• Continuously improve planning practices to reduce inventory imbalance and obsolescence risk while protecting schedule attainment.
• Build the initial supply plan and planning parameters for new hardware as it moves from development into production.
• Utilize sales and marketing data to provide effective demand forecasts aimed at optimizing production plans.
• Routinely research market intelligence to ensure that demand forecasts are accurate and up to date.
• Present analytics-based demand forecasts and risk scenarios to multiple departments, including upper management.
• Identify key sales indicators for specific products to provide the sales and program teams with relevant analysis and guidance for decision-making.
• Analyze project and program information and put findings into reports, in order to create more efficient scheduling and planning across engineering and production.
• Monitor and track projects, and set and reset schedules according to gathered data to maximize efficiency and eliminate issues.
• Prepare planning and scheduling documents and communicate schedule changes to stakeholders.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and/or mentoring to a subordinate group; may act as a lead or first-level supervisor for planning-related activities.

Role Goals and Measures:

• Master Production Schedule adherence for the assigned segment, measured monthly against committed program need dates.
• Manufacturing Orders released complete and on time to need date, with expedites driven by genuine demand change rather than planning error.
• Planning parameters reviewed on cycle, with published lead times validated against actual performance.
• Inventory positioned to protect the schedule while meeting turns and days-of-supply targets for the segment.
• Supply review inputs delivered complete and on time to every monthly SIOP cycle.
• Demand forecast quality and alignment with market intelligence and sales indicators, reflected in forecast accuracy, bias, and impact on schedule attainment.

Required Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Analytics, Finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 4 to 6 years of experience in supply planning, production planning, master scheduling, production control, or closely related demand planning roles within a manufacturing environment.
• ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, Odoo, Katana, Sage, etc.), and advanced Excel.
• Working command of MRP logic, including how bills of material, lead times, order policies, and planning parameters drive the plan and what breaks when they are wrong.
• Able to work equally well with quantitative and qualitative data sources to build a defensible plan, rather than only maintaining a statistical model.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience aggregating data from cross-functional stakeholders to support high-level, strategic decision-making.
• Action-oriented and results-driven, with the ability to work well under pressure, prioritize workload, and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Excellent critical thinking, with the agility to learn and unlearn as the business scales.
• Disciplined approach to planning data integrity, with the judgment to know when a plan input is not trustworthy.
• Ability to identify process and data gaps and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Ability to communicate in a clear and concise professional manner tailored to the audience, including the ability to hold a position with Program Management, Engineering, and Manufacturing when the plan is uncomfortable.
• Experience utilizing sales and marketing data to develop and present analytics-based demand forecasts.
• Experience operating under minimal supervision, handling complex planning issues, and referring only the most complex issues to higher-level staff.
• Experience providing informal leadership, coaching, or mentoring to junior team members.

Knowledge of:

• SIOP process, cadence, and governance.
• Master Production Scheduling and material requirements planning principles.
• Demand planning and forecasting methodologies, including forecast accuracy and bias measurement.
• Demand and supply balancing across planning horizons.
• Inventory management strategies, including safety stock and slow-moving and obsolete material.
• Scenario modeling and trade-off analysis.
• Supply chain KPIs, including schedule attainment, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and capacity utilization.
• KPI and dashboard development.
• Manufacturing operations and fulfillment constraints in a low-volume, high-complexity environment.

Preferred Experience:

• APICS CPIM, CSCP, or IBF CPF certification.
• Aerospace, defense, or another low-volume, high-complexity, engineer-to-order environment where backlog, funding milestones, and contract dates drive the signal.
• Experience operating within an established SIOP or S&OP cadence and contributing to its continuous improvement.
• Experience facilitating a demand or supply review inside an established SIOP or S&OP cadence.
• Demonstrated improvement in forecast accuracy across an assigned portfolio.
• Exposure to PLM (Windchill) and engineering change management.
• Experience with data visualization tools.

Position Details:

• Full-time, exempt.
• Hybrid schedule with a minimum of three days per week on-site in Berthoud, CO.
• This position requires access to information controlled under ITAR and/or the EAR. Applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by those regulations, or otherwise eligible for the required authorization.
• Works in both office and manufacturing environments with regular presence on the production floor.
• Able to lift and transport parts and tools weighing up to 25lbs.

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $90,000 - $121,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can't  quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy. 

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match
• Equity Grants in the Company

How To Apply: 
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).

Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance. 

We're an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

No outside recruiters, please.