Production Planning Engineer II

Job Title: Production Engineer II

Job Description

We are seeking a resilient, driven, and solutions-oriented Production Planning Engineer to support a dynamic and fast-paced manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for optimizing production operations through effective scheduling, resource planning, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure alignment with program milestones and on-time delivery commitments. The Production Planning Engineer serves as the primary planning resource for hardware production builds, managing the process from procurement through final delivery. This individual partners closely with production leadership and work center teams to optimize build sequencing, balance resource utilization, and proactively address schedule constraints. Key responsibilities include developing and maintaining production plans, conducting capacity and material planning, mitigating operational risks, and facilitating cross-functional planning reviews. The role also oversees the release and management of work orders within ERP, MRP, and MES systems to ensure execution aligns with manufacturing schedules and program objectives. Additionally, this position leverages data analysis and scenario modeling to support critical path decision-making, improve production efficiency, reduce waste, and drive continuous process improvement across manufacturing operations. The successful candidate will provide data-driven recommendations to leadership, enabling informed decisions that support operational excellence and successful program execution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain production plans ensuring alignment with program milestones and on-time delivery objectives.
• Conduct capacity and material planning, mitigating operational risks.
• Facilitate cross-functional planning reviews and provide regular schedule and readiness updates to leadership.
• Oversee the release and management of work orders within ERP, MRP, and MES systems.
• Leverage data analysis and scenario modeling for critical path decision-making.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to leadership for operational excellence.
• Communicate project progress, schedule status, and potential risks to key stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Execute capacity planning, make-versus-buy analyses, and scenario modeling.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve production bottlenecks, schedule conflicts, and resource constraints.
• Integrate and maintain planning activities within ERP, MRP, and MES systems.
• Partner with operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and program leadership to optimize build sequencing and resource allocation.
• Track production metrics, develop planning dashboards, and provide data-driven insights.
• Analyze production and scheduling data to improve lead times, increase efficiency, and reduce waste.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Essential Skills

• 3+ years of experience as a Production Engineer.
• Bachelor"s degree in Engineering or Manufacturing.
• 3+ years of production planning or project management experience.
• Familiarity with GD&T, MS Projects, and Primavera.
• Experience in manufacturing, assembly, and testing hardware.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Proficiency in ERP, MRP, and MES systems.
• Strong capability in Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools.

Work Environment

Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on the task. Candidates will have the opportunity to help support the next generation space and station, collaborating across various departments.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Houston, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $50.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Houston,TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 1, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.