SME Production Planner

Job Purpose:

The
Production Planner – SME
serves as the central authority on production planning, scheduling, and control methodologies across all defense manufacturing subsidiaries and JVs. The role ensures alignment of factory-level production practices with corporate strategy, operational excellence frameworks, and defense industry compliance standards. The SME provides expert guidance, develops standardized planning tools and procedures, and supports the digital transformation of production management systems.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Group-Level Oversight

• Develop and implement
  group-wide production planning policies, procedures, and KPIs
  to standardize operations across all defense manufacturing units.
• Evaluate and benchmark factory planning performance to ensure
  optimal capacity utilization, resource allocation, and schedule adherence
  .
• Act as the
  corporate advisor
  for production planning, material control, and master scheduling functions.

Technical Expertise & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as the
  subject matter expert
  on advanced production planning techniques (MRP, ERP/MES integration, finite capacity scheduling, lean production, etc.).
• Lead initiatives for
  production optimization
  ,
  bottleneck analysis
  , and
  throughput improvement
  across subsidiaries.
• Design and implement
  best practices for forecasting, demand planning, and production sequencing
  tailored to defense manufacturing environments.

Digital Transformation & Systems Integration

• Partner with IT and digital transformation teams to
  implement or enhance ERP/MES systems
  and ensure accurate data flow between planning, procurement, and manufacturing.
• Define
  system parameters and data governance rules
  to ensure consistency and reliability of production information across factories.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with
  procurement, engineering, quality assurance, and logistics
  to ensure end-to-end production readiness and delivery performance.
• Provide
  expert training, mentoring, and capability development
  to factory production planners and schedulers.
• Act as the
  liaison between the holding company and subsidiary/JV planning teams
  , ensuring strategic objectives are met.

Governance & Reporting

• Monitor and report on
  group-level production KPIs
  (OTD, capacity utilization, WIP, inventory turns, etc.).
• Support internal audits and compliance with
  defense production regulations, export controls, and quality standards (ISO, AS9100, MIL-SPEC, etc.)
  .
• Develop
  dashboards and executive summaries
  for leadership review and decision-making.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in
  Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Management
  , or a related field.
• Master's degree or MBA preferred.
• Certification in
  APICS (CPIM/CSCP)
  or equivalent is highly desirable.

Experience

• Minimum
  10–15 years
  of experience in
  production planning, manufacturing operations, or supply chain management
  , preferably within
  defense, aerospace, or heavy manufacturing
  sectors.
• Proven track record in
  multi-site or group-level planning oversight
  .
• Hands-on experience with
  ERP/MES systems (SAP, Oracle, IFS, or equivalent)
  .
• Demonstrated success in
  process improvement, planning automation, and cross-functional leadership
  .

Skills and Competencies

• Deep knowledge of
  production planning methodologies, capacity management, and scheduling logic
  .
• Strong understanding of
  defense manufacturing standards, compliance, and traceability requirements
  .
• Advanced proficiency in
  data analysis, Excel/Power BI, and planning software tools
  .
• Excellent
  analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management
  skills.
• Ability to
  influence and drive change
  across multiple subsidiaries and organizational levels.
• Strong
  communication, leadership, and training
  capabilities.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Improvement in
  group-level schedule adherence and on-time delivery rates
  .
• Reduction in
  production lead times and work-in-progress (WIP)
  .
• Increase in
  capacity utilization and planning accuracy
  .
• Implementation success of
  standardized planning procedures and digital tools
  .