Lead Scheduler (Starship Production)

LEAD PRODUCTION SCHEDULER (STARSHIP)

The Lead Production Scheduler role drives efficient production scheduling for Starship manufacturing work centers, leading a team to create prioritized work orders, rate-based timelines, and constraint tracking to support high-rate mission builds. This position focuses on optimizing hardware allocation, mitigating risks through capacity analysis and automation, and collaborating cross-functionally with production and supply chain teams to resolve shortages and ensure on-time delivery. By monitoring key metrics, escalating threats, and promoting continuous improvements in yield, quality, and efficiency, the lead supports scalable production capabilities for future Starship missions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead a team of Production Schedulers to develop and maintain rate-based schedules for Starship hardware, including identifying part shortages, projecting long-term rate needs, and tracking constraints across builds for the next 6+ missions to ensure work centers have prioritized lists of work orders.
• Guide the creation of scheduling scenarios to secure stakeholder buy-in on optimal hardware allocation between new and refurbished units, factoring in customer needs, mission manifests, and quality requirements.
• Partner with production and supply chain teams to set, track, and execute daily/weekly goals for work centers, accounting for personnel, equipment, and shared resource constraints while aligning with overall production rate targets.
• Build and mentor the team in fostering strong relationships with internal suppliers, establishing accurate communication for hardware needs and completion dates, and negotiating priorities at shared resources across departments to drive optimal business outcomes.
• Oversee monitoring of MRP systems using SQL queries to identify hardware shortages for upcoming builds; lead efforts to resolve them by pulling critical hardware into production areas and escalating threats to schedule achievement.
• Drive the development and roll-out of scheduling tools, business processes, and automation opportunities to reduce manual operations, enhance Factory Scheduler implementation, and support production efficiency.
• Conduct work-center level capacity analyses to mitigate near-term and future schedule risks, identify gaps in models and communication causing slips, and lead reactive/proactive initiatives, including projects to expand capacity.
• Lead root-cause investigations and permanent resolutions for production issues during builds, facilitating discussions on assembly-level and integration misalignments to eliminate internal/external blockers and ensure on-time delivery.
• Establish key metrics, promote continuous improvement efforts using lean principles, six sigma, or Kaizen, and identify opportunities to enhance product yield, quality, safety, cost, and team efficiency.
• Prepare and deliver effective, actionable weekly status reports to PC Director and VP of Production, highlighting risks, achievements, and recommendations for business development and forward schedule requirements.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate AND 2+ years of experience in manufacturing scheduling, planning, or operations in a production environment.
• 1+ years of experience in a lead or senior individual contributor role.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, business, manufacturing, mechanical or industrial engineering.
• Purchasing/APICS certification or Project Management Professional certification.
• 5+ years of ERP/MRP Planning/Purchasing/Production Scheduling experience.
• Remarkable problem-solving skills with a bias for speed and accuracy.
• Self-motivated, quick learner with the ability to prioritize efforts to meet customer and company goals.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong internal and external supplier/customer relationships in a fast-moving environment.
• Technical knowledge in coding and computer applications (e.g., MS Office Suite, VBA, Smartsheet, SQL, Confluence, JIRA, Power BI).
• Strong track record of implementing continuous improvement efforts using problem-solving frameworks like lean principles, six sigma, or Kaizen.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams on strategic production problems.
• Analytical and written skills; ability to influence others, design processes, and drive improvements.
• Prior supervisory or cross-functional leadership experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be available for all shifts, extended hours, and/or weekends as needed.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted.
• Must be able to stand for extended periods - 8 hours minimum.