Manager, Production Planning

Gooch & Housego Keene, a precision photonics manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, industrial, and life science markets, seeks a Manager, Production Planning to lead end-to-end planning and scheduling. This role oversees capacity, materials, and labor alignment to meet on-time delivery, quality, and cost targets across complex optical components and assemblies. Responsibilities include MRP/ERP-based planning, inventory optimization, demand forecasting, and coordination with operations, supply chain, and engineering.

The manager will drive data-based decisions and continuous improvement in a highly technical, collaborative environment focused on mission-critical products.

Responsibilities

• Lead production planning and scheduling for precision photonics manufacturing operations
• Develop and maintain MRP/ERP-based production plans to meet customer demand and delivery commitments
• Coordinate capacity planning, material availability, and labor resources with operations, supply chain, and engineering
• Monitor WIP, throughput, and on-time delivery metrics and drive corrective actions as needed
• Optimize inventory levels, lead times, and lot sizes to balance efficiency and responsiveness
• Support new product introductions and engineering changes into the production schedule
• Analyze demand trends and forecast requirements to align with sales and program needs
• Implement and sustain lean and continuous improvement initiatives in planning processes
• Prepare reports and communicate planning status, risks, and recovery plans to leadership
• Ensure adherence to quality, compliance, and documentation standards in all planning activities

Required Skills

• Production planning and scheduling
• MRP/ERP systems
• Capacity planning
• Inventory management
• Data analysis and Excel
• Demand forecasting
• Lean manufacturing principles
• Continuous improvement methodologies
• Reading engineering drawings and BOMs
• Cross-functional coordination and communication