Material Planning Manager - Supply Chain

About Zipline

Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building, manufacturing and operating the first instant delivery and logistics system that serves all humans equally, wherever they are. From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart, to enabling healthcare providers to bring care directly to U.S. homes, we are transforming the way things move for businesses, governments and consumers.

The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Through our technology that includes robotics and autonomy, we are decarbonizing delivery, decreasing road congestion, and reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access to billions of people and building a more resilient global supply chain.

Does the prospect of a society‑altering challenge—owning the material availability and planning backbone to support rapid scaling of a first‑of‑its‑kind autonomous robotic aircraft system—sound like the type of work that gets you out of bed in the morning? Can you cut through complex, competing signals from engineering changes, production ramps, supplier constraints, and demand variability to drive precise, actionable plans that keep manufacturing moving forward?

Are you energized by the authority and responsibility of leading material strategy for an entire aircraft platform or major subsystem in a high‑visibility, mission‑critical role? If this excites you, you’re who we’re looking for! This is an in‑person role based out of our HQ in South San Francisco requiring 30‑50% travel to manage critical suppliers, partners, and operations in Asia, North America, and other key regions.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will own the comprehensive material planning and data integrity for either a full aircraft platform or a major subsystem, ensuring seamless alignment between design intent, production needs, supplier commitments, and operational execution. You will serve as the central authority for material‑related data and processes, working closely with Engineering, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Industrialization, New Product Introduction (NPI), Manufacturing Operations, and Integrated Planning teams to scale Zipline’s manufacturing footprint reliably and at speed.

• Own and maintain the end‑to‑end material availability strategy, including accurate translation of production schedules and forecasts into supplier requirements, inventory positioning, and risk mitigation plans.
• Lead ownership and governance of critical master data (BOMs, item attributes, lead times, planning parameters, and engineering change impacts) to ensure MRP and planning systems reflect the current design and production reality.
• Develop, communicate, and manage forward‑looking forecasts and commitments to suppliers, aligning them with Zipline’s aggressive ramp plans, design evolution, and program milestones.
• Drive the engineering change integration process for materials—assessing supply planning impacts, updating planning data, and minimizing disruptions to supply continuity and production flow.
• Plan, organize, direct, and execute material readiness activities across Design Engineering, Manufacturing, NPI, and Supply Chain teams to support prototype‑to‑volume transitions and ongoing rate increases.
• Monitor and resolve material constraints through rigorous exception management, expediting, market share reallocation, and cross‑functional escalation, while maintaining tight control over inventory health.
• Perform deep data analysis to identify trends, variances, and risks in demand, supply, and inventory; use insights to refine planning logic, reduce shortages/excess, and improve forecast accuracy over time.
• Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Industrialization to align supplier capabilities, capacities, and performance with Zipline’s evolving needs; define and track inventory and…