Production Planner

Production Planner

Grand Rapids, MI

Avionics - Aftermarket - Supply Chain /

Full Time - Reg /

On-site

About Acron Aviation (Avionics - Aftermarket):

Acron Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures certified avionics systems that support safety-critical flight operations across commercial and military aviation. Through our Aftermarket organization, we support operators, OEMs, maintenance providers, and fleet owners by delivering product support, repair, overhaul, technical services, and lifecycle sustainment solutions across a broad portfolio of avionics products. Our Aftermarket team plays a critical role in ensuring product availability, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence throughout the service life of our systems.

Job Title

Production Planner - Aftermarket

Position Summary

We are seeking a Production Planner who thrives in complex, cross-functional environments and is highly skilled in applying production planning fundamentals, continuous improvement, and team-based problem-solving to achieve operational excellence.

The Production Planner is responsible for executing the established Master Production Schedule (MPS) while identifying and removing obstacles by applying Lean and Continuous Improvement principles. This role ensures production plans are feasible, stable, and visible across the organization by balancing material availability, labor capacity, machine constraints, quality requirements, and customer commitments.

The ideal candidate is a high-energy planning professional who reinforces a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement. This individual will leverage ERP-based planning tools, collaborate across the value stream, and drive disciplined execution while maintaining accountability for schedule performance, inventory objectives, and customer commitments.

Schedule and Execution Readiness

• Develop and maintain daily and weekly work order releases and completions aligned to the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and frozen planning horizons

• Manage work order changes while maintaining schedule stability

• Ensure schedules accurately reflect material, labor, and equipment availability

• Sequence work using capacity constraints across assembly, test, paint, inspection, and other critical operations

• Collaborate with Master Schedulers and Value Stream Leaders to estimate deliveries and associated financial impacts

• Develop recovery plans for overdue work orders

• Maintain visual management systems, including KPI trees and dashboards for schedule performance, shortages, and constraints

• Maintain action logs with ownership and due dates

• Own scheduling and capacity alignment for all RMA Part 21 customer returns, ensuring customer-return demand is integrated appropriately into factory schedules and delivery commitments

Constraint and Shortage Management

• Identify and mitigate material, capacity, and configuration constraints

• Own and maintain the shortage hot list, including clear ownership, due dates, and escalation paths

Tiered Daily Management and Communication

• Participate in Tier 1 and Tier 2 daily Gemba meetings

• Communicate plan-versus-actual performance, risks, and recovery actions

• Escalate issues with data-driven recommendations and solutions

• Collaborate cross-functionally to mitigate risks and ensure closure of actions supporting MPS execution and inventory objectives

Defect, Change, and Compliance Integration

• Collaborate across functions to build quality into daily operations through defect disposition, root cause analysis, and corrective actions

• Integrate engineering changes, MRB dispositions, and approved alternates into production plans

• Ensure all planning activities comply with configuration control and regulatory requirements

• Protect frozen planning windows from unapproved disruptions

Continuous Improvement of the Planning System

• Follow and improve production planning standard work

• Lead or participate in Kaizen events focused on reducing planning waste, improving lead time, increasing quality, and enhancing schedule reliability

• Improve SAP master data and planning data quality, including BOMs, routings, lead times, standard times, and yields

• Improve ERP data accuracy to support more effective planning and scheduling outcomes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, Business, or equivalent experience

• Minimum 2-5 years of experience in production planning, materials management, or manufacturing environments

• Demonstrated continuous improvement experience, including structured problem solving, standard work development, and process improvement execution

• Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as SAP or equivalent platforms

• Strong analytical skills, including Excel, Power BI, or similar tools

• Experience with scenario planning, what-if analysis, and machine/labor capacity modeling

• Experience using KPI trees and performance metrics to manage schedule attainment and planning effectiveness

• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, persuasion, and negotiation

• Strong communication skills with the ability to work directly with customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams

Preferred Additional Skills

• APICS/ASCM certifications such as CPIM or CSCP

• Experience in Engineer-to-Order (ETO) or Make-to-Order (MTO) manufacturing environments

• Experience with configuration control, Engineering Change Order (ECO) effectivity, and regulated quality systems

• Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement training, including Toyota Production System, Kaizen, and Tiered Daily Management. Customer-focused planning experience balancing customer commitments with operational and financial objectives

• Experience supporting aerospace, avionics, repair, overhaul, or other highly regulated operational environments

Equal Opportunity Statement

Acron Aviation is proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants with respect and dignity and to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Additional Information:

Acron Aviation maintains a drug-free workplace and conducts pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where allowed by law. Acron Aviation is an E-Verify employer.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.