Senior Planning/Forecasting Specialist

Job description

Airbus is committed to providing reasonable accommodations as an Equal Opportunity Employer to applicants with disabilities. If you require assistance or an accommodation to complete your application, please contact us at USCareers@airbus.com Notice: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Notice: Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination  (English) Aviso: Transparencia en el Pago No Discriminación (Spanish) Job Description: Are you a senior demand planning specialist and SAP power user ready to steer critical supply chain operations for a global aviation leader? Airbus Helicopters, Inc. is looking for an autonomous, analytical Senior Planning/Forecasting Specialist to take ownership of our material forecasting, inventory strategy, and enterprise system optimization. In this dual-impact role, you will bridge the gap between production assembly lines and IT—managing causal forecasting, controlling multi-million-dollar inventory allocations across our facilities, and serving as the definitive SAP subject matter expert for the Operational Procurement team. If you bring 7+ years of supply chain expertise and deep SAP mastery, this is your opportunity to directly shape assembly readiness in a world-class aerospace environment. Your Working Environment: A suburb just outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is home to Airbus Helicopters U.S. regional headquarters, where we have more than 1,000 employees. Check out one of the seven professional sports teams that also call Dallas home - you may even see a special, custom Airbus helicopter dedicated to the Dallas Cowboys flying during home games. How we care for you: Financial Rewards: Competitive base salary, incentive compensation which may include profit sharing schemes, retirement savings plan and the ability to participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) Work/Life Balance: Paid time off including personal time, holidays and a generous paid parental leave program. Health & Welfare: Comprehensive insurance coverage including medical (traditional and high-deductible health plans), prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, Employee Assistance Plan (“EAP”) and other supplemental benefit coverages. Individual Development: Upskilling and development opportunities through our global Leadership University, including unlimited access to 10,000+ e-learning courses focusing on ways to develop your employability, certifications, career path as well as the opportunity to participate in accelerated development programmes and both national and international mobility. Your Challenges: Stock Collection & Demand Analysis: Evaluate assembly line order books, sales velocity, and stocking restrictions to determine optimal materials for stock collection and adjust parameters directly in the planning tool. Inventory Optimization: Make strategic stocking decisions balancing operational fill rates against working capital and cash-flow impact. SAP Operational Focal Point: Serve as the primary SAP subject matter expert for the Procurement team, delivering daily navigation support, system troubleshooting, and process guidance. System Enhancements & IT Collaboration: Prepare functional specifications for SAP modifications, manage change tickets via Jira, and partner closely with IT to implement and test production environment upgrades. Testing & System Integration: Execute structured job function testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and system integration validations for procurement and planning workflows. SAP Training & Knowledge Transfer: Develop comprehensive training materials and lead workshops to onboard staff on new SAP features, system updates, and best practices. Data Integrity & Master Data Governance: Own SAP database maintenance and execute periodic audits to safeguard master data integrity across procurement and planning modules. Quality & AS9100 Compliance: Maintain rigorous documentation, procedures, and change logs to ensure adherence to AS9100 quality and aerospace audit standards. Causal & Supplemental Forecasting: Monitor sales order trends and shop-floor consumption to identify outpacing demand and apply supplemental adjustments in the forecasting tool. Forecast Parameter Management: Partner with Work Prep, Program Managers, and shop leads to calibrate forecasting parameters, validate historical models, and resolve forecast discrepancies. Forecasting Tool Administration: Oversee the administration, testing, and continuous improvement of proprietary forecasting and planning software. Kit Planning & Order Release: Lead end-to-end planning for internal shop kits and STC kits, validating planning proposals and coordinating with Kit Administrators to release production orders. Material Requirements Planning (MRP): Configure and maintain core SAP planning parameters—including safety stock, MOQs, rounding rules, and minimum lot sizes—to automate accurate Purchase Requisitions (PRs). Cross-Functional Expediting: Communicate part requirements across internal backshops and Purchasing, proactively expediting critical components from suppliers to meet delivery milestones. Part Interchangeability Screening: Maintain part master database records by conducting technical screenings to classify interchangeable and alternate spare materials. Tool Development for Requisition Auditing: Maintain and develop analytical tools to validate automated material recommendations prior to Purchase Order (PO) execution. Executive KPI Reporting: Track, analyze, and present key forecasting, procurement, and inventory performance metrics through executive-ready presentations for senior leadership. Order Book Health Monitoring: Audit sales order books regularly to identify discrepancies early and collaborate with requesting departments to resolve demand anomalies. Your Boarding Pass: Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Material Management, Business Administration or related field, or equivalent experience (4 years) Possess seven (7) years' specialized, directly related experience in areas of demand forecasting, customer demand management, material planning, inventory control, purchasing, production planning or scheduling at least 5 years of which involve SAP Possess a strong knowledge of BOMs (bill of materials) for both production materials as well as services. Microsoft Office or Google Suite / SAP /Basic material planning skills (MRP) Preferred Skills: Aviation industry experience. Skywise Travel Required: 10% Domestic and International Citizenship: Authorized to work in the US Physical Requirements: ● Onsite 90 %. Can work to a hybrid role of one day per week as work allows. ● Vision: able to see and read computer screen and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents, reports and engineering drawings daily. ● Hearing: able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds including safety warnings or alarms daily ● Speaking: able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications daily. ● Equipment Operation: able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment daily. ● Carrying: able to carry documents, drawings, electronic equipment up to 10lbs daily ● Lifting: able to lift documents, drawings, electronic equipment up to 10lbs daily ● Pushing / Pulling: able to push and pull small office furniture and some equipment rarely ● Sitting: able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on computer daily ● Squatting / Kneeling: able to squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items stored on low shelving rarely ● Standing: able to stand for discussions in offices or on production floor daily ● Travel: able to travel independently and at short notice rarely ● Walking: able to walk through office and production areas including uneven surfaces daily ● PPE required: Steel-toed shoes are required for all shop floor visits, appropriate hearing/eye protectio