Director Planning Operations

Job

Location:
Melbourne FL

Schedule: 9/80

The Electro Optical Infrared Systems (EOIS) line of business within DRS has locations in Dallas and Austin, TX, Melbourne, FL, and Cypress, CA. EOIS develops, manufactures, and supports infrared and electro-optical solutions for soldiers, ground vehicles and airborne platforms. We offer an exciting and challenging work environment, a competitive salary and benefits package, and a business culture that rewards performance.

The Director, Material and Production Planning and Warehouse Operations leads end-to-end planning and materials execution to support on-time delivery, inventory optimization, and efficient factory flow. This role owns the integrated planning system and operating cadence for SIOP/MPS/MRP, production scheduling, WIP control, and warehouse operations, including interplant material planning and transactions. The Director ensures material availability, transaction integrity, and inventory accuracy while driving cross-functional execution across Programs, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and Finance.

• Lead material and production planning by owning the MPS, executing MRP, and running short-interval planning to balance demand, supply, and capacity while protecting build schedules and customer commitments.
• Ensure material availability for production (kits, spares, floor WIP) through strong constraints management (material, capacity, labor), mitigation planning, and standardized planning policies/work instructions to reduce expedites and improve schedule adherence.
• Direct warehouse and inventory operations (receiving, storage, kitting, issuing, shipping, cycle counting) with strong controls for inventory accuracy, location management, shelf‑life/lot control, and traceability; improve layout, flow, and internal logistics to reduce touch labor, WIP aging, and line‑side shortages.
• Manage production planning and transactions by enforcing transaction discipline (transfers, receipts, issues, returns, WIP moves, adjustments), maintaining system‑of‑record accuracy, and partnering across sites to standardize processes, improve lead times, and reduce transfer‑related schedule risk.
• Own WIP governance and factory flow including routing adherence, staging discipline, bottleneck visibility, and transaction accuracy to improve throughput, cost accuracy, and overall production stability; drive reductions in excess WIP and improvements in yield/first‑pass quality.
• Drive performance management and continuous improvement by defining KPIs/dashboards (OTD support, schedule adherence, shortages, inventory accuracy, cycle count performance, WIP aging, productivity), applying Lean methods, and leading root‑cause corrective actions for recurring disruptions.
• Provide people leadership and cross‑functional collaboration by coaching planning/warehouse teams, setting clear expectations and accountability, partnering with key functions (Procurement, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Program), and supporting program reviews with clear material status, risk outlook, and recovery plans.
• Own and lead SIOP to align demand, supply, capacity, and financial commitments; drive the monthly/weekly cadence, scenario planning, and decision‑making to support program priorities and achievable production plans.

• 10+ years experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred) with a minimum of 10+ years experience in high technology, aerospace or defense or equivalent experience
• Strong working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems, inventory control, WIP management, and production scheduling
• Demonstrated leadership of multi‑function teams and cross‑site coordination
• Proven ability to improve performance through standard work, metrics, and continuous improvement

• Integrated planning and execution discipline
• Experience with Kinaxis or Power BI data platforms
• DoD, ITAR, EAR, FAR, DFAR Regulations
• Warehouse operations and material flow optimization
• Data‑driven decision making and KPI management
• APICS certification
• Cross‑functional leadership and stakeholder management
• Con…