Production Planning Engineer (Defense & Advanced Manufacturing)

PRODUCTION PLANNING ENGINEER / SR. PRODUCTION PLANNER

Industrial Engineering Degree Required | $90K - $120K Base Salary | Stafford, VA

9/80 Schedule – EVERY OTHER FRIDAY OFF!

DEFENSE & ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Are you an Industrial Engineer who LOVES data, thrives on solving complex manufacturing challenges, and knows how to turn numbers into actionable results?

Adecco Permanent Recruitment is partnering with an innovative, growing defense technology and advanced manufacturing organization seeking a highly analytical Production Planning Engineer / Sr. Production Planner to help drive production efficiency, manufacturing readiness, and on-time delivery at its Stafford, VA facility.

We're not looking for someone who simply manages schedules or enters work orders.

We're looking for a data-driven problem solver who can analyze production performance, anticipate material shortages, identify bottlenecks, and translate complex data into smarter manufacturing decisions.

If you're an Excel powerhouse with an Industrial Engineering background and hands-on production planning experience , this opportunity deserves your attention!

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own production planning and scheduling , aligning customer demand, materials, inventory, manufacturing capacity, and work orders.
• Turn data into decisions! Develop advanced Excel reports, dashboards, and production analytics that help leadership improve operational performance.
• Monitor manufacturing work orders, production progress, schedule attainment, and material consumption.
• Identify potential material shortages, capacity constraints, and production bottlenecks before they impact delivery.
• Create, release, and manage manufacturing work orders within the ERP system.
• Maintain accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs), routings, inventory data, and planning parameters .
• Collaborate with Production, Procurement, Manufacturing Engineering, Inventory Control, and Quality to resolve scheduling and material challenges.
• Help improve production efficiency, inventory accuracy, resource utilization, and on-time delivery .

✅ WHAT YOU MUST BRING

These qualifications are required for consideration:

✔ Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering – REQUIRED.

✔ Minimum 2 years of hands-on production planning, MRP, and manufacturing scheduling experience in an assembly-line environment.

✔ ADVANCED Microsoft Excel proficiency – NONNEGOTIABLE! Pivot tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, complex formulas, data manipulation, analysis, and reporting.

✔ Strong analytical abilities with demonstrated experience interpreting large datasets, identifying trends, and translating findings into operational improvements.

✔ Hands-on experience with ERP/MRP systems , manufacturing work orders, and production planning processes.

✔ Working knowledge of BOMs, material requirements, inventory management, and manufacturing capacity planning .

✔ Exceptional attention to detail, data accuracy, organization, and cross-functional communication.

✔ U.S. citizenship and ability to successfully complete a background check.

✔ Ability to work 100% onsite in Stafford, VA , within approximately a 45-minute commute.

⭐ EXPERIENCE THAT WILL SET YOU APART

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central – a significant advantage!
• Power BI , dashboard development, and advanced production reporting.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, electronics, electromechanical assembly, or other regulated manufacturing environments .
• Experience identifying manufacturing inefficiencies and using data to improve scheduling, inventory, throughput, or production performance.

ARE YOU OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE?

You might be if you:

• Actually enjoy working with large spreadsheets, formulas, and complex datasets.
• Understand what happens on a manufacturing floor and how production planning impacts the entire operation.
• Don't just generate reports—you analyze them, spot trends, and recommend solutions.
• Can anticipate material shortages and production delays before they become major problems.
• Take pride in accuracy, efficiency, organization, and keeping manufacturing operations on track.

We want someone who understands both the DATA and the MANUFACTURING PROCESS—and knows how to connect the two!

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS OPPORTUNITY

• $90K–$120K base salary , depending on qualifications and experience.
• EVERY OTHER FRIDAY OFF! Enjoy a three-day weekend twice a month with a 9/80 schedule.
• Innovative Defense Technology: Contribute to a growing organization manufacturing sophisticated, mission-critical systems.
• Meaningful Impact: Your analysis, planning, and recommendations will directly influence production efficiency and operational success.
• Leadership Visibility: Report to the Head of Operations and collaborate with key manufacturing and engineering stakeholders.
• Professional Growth: Expand your expertise in advanced manufacturing, production analytics, and sophisticated ERP-driven operations.

LOCATION & SCHEDULE

Stafford, VA | 100% Onsite | Full-Time

Monday–Thursday: 8:00 AM–5:30 PM

Working Fridays: 8:00 AM–4:30 PM

Every Other Friday: OFF!

Approximately 10% travel may be required.

INTERESTED? LET'S CONNECT!

If you're an Industrial Engineer with strong production planning experience and exceptional Excel/data analytics skills , I'd love to hear from you! Send your resume directly to View email address on click.appcast.io for confidential consideration or apply through LinkedIn.

#SeniorProductionPlanner #ProductionPlanner #IndustrialEngineering #ManufacturingPlanning #ProductionScheduling #AdvancedExcel #MRP #ERP #PowerBI #MicrosoftBusinessCentral #DefenseManufacturing #AerospaceManufacturing #StaffordVA #FredericksburgVA #AdeccoPermanentRecruitment

Equal Opportunity Statement - The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable: * The California Fair Chance Act * Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance * Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers * San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance *