Head of Business Planning

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Director of Planning
Full Time Senior Management Marana, AZ, US

Ascent Aviation Services is one of the largest aviation maintenance, repair, overhaul, storage, and reclamation operations in the world. Our strength comes from our talented and professional employees who excel through teamwork and enthusiasm. Ascent Aviation Services continues to grow and is continually looking for motivated and career-minded aviation professionals who will support our vision and goals.

The Director of Planning is responsible for the overall management of Planning, Production Control, and Operational Capacity. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), this position provides leadership for all planning operations within the business unit and is accountable for planning, quality, customer satisfaction, operational execution, workforce performance, and financial results. The Director of Planning leads the execution of long and short range schedules for accomplishing work packages in a timely and cost effective manner.

Business Unit Leadership & Strategy

Assists the Chief Operating Officer in developing and implementing policies, plans and programs to ensure effective scheduling and management of work packages

Provides the COO and leadership team with visibility of capacity, schedule risks, resource requirements, and operational constraints.

Converts customer, engineering, and work-scope requirements into executable production plans and establishes baselines for scope, schedule, labor, materials, and aircraft turnaround.

Establishes realistic aircraft turnaround targets and monitors progress against approved plans, escalating schedule risks and constraints.

Consults with all segments of management responsible for policy or action. Coordinate labor forecasting, tooling availability, and material readiness to match upcoming customer work scopes

Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like plan adherence, man-hour utilization, and on-time aircraft redelivery.

Establishes realistic aircraft turnaround targets and monitors progress against approved plans, escalating schedule risks and constraints.

Manage and develop staff within the planning department through clear communication and expectations

Partner with HR, Quality, Maintenance, Materials, Finance, and Facilities.

Partner with Sales, Engineering, Quality, and Production Control teams to review work packages and resolve workflow bottlenecks.

Customer Relations

Maintain strong customer relationships and participate in operational reviews.

Support contract discussions and resolve escalated customer concerns.

Regulatory Compliance & Safety

Ensure compliance with FAA regulations and company procedures.

Own business unit financial performance, including revenue, margin, productivity, and labor efficiency.

Lead Lean and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Use operational metrics to drive decision-making and performance improvements.

PTO - Eligible for 3 Weeks in your First Year, in Addition to 7 Paid Company Holidays

Company-Provided Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance

Development and Career Growth Opportunities

Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing planning teams.

Demonstrated ability to develop and manage integrated schedules, production plans, resource requirements and performance metrics.

Minimum 5 years of progressive aviation maintenance, MRO, or aerospace planning experience.

Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management, Business, Engineering, or a related field.

Lean Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement certification.

Ability to work in aircraft maintenance environments and travel as required.

EQUIPMENT OPERATED:

Telephone, personal computer, multiple printers, copy machine, and shredder.

May be required to operate additional office equipment not explicitly listed in this description as needed to perform job duties effectively.

Frequent interaction with aircraft maintenance facilities, hangars, and operational environments. Employees are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with company policies and government regulations. These rules are written in the interest of preserving the lives and the resources entrusted to each employee, and when the rules are violated, the risk of a mishap is usually increased.

We provide equal employment opportunities and are committed to making reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of their job.

If you require any accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.