Production Controller

About the Role Takt Engineering is hiring a Production Controller on behalf of a client. You will own the production signal for a hardware program, which in practice means keeping the build schedule current, working MRP exceptions, releasing work orders, and staying ahead of the material that follows. Traceability is part of the job as well, from lot receipt and tagging through fabrication and re-entry into inventory. The floor runs on a tier-one ERP and a major PLM platform, with a ticketing system for work tracking and a set of internally built web tools on top. Plenty of the reporting you will want does not exist yet. The people who do well here write their own SQL, put the report together themselves, and go talk to the software teams that own the tools when something needs to change. Job Responsibilities * Keep the build schedule current for assigned programs and work MRP exceptions until they are closed. * Release and prioritize work orders, generate move orders, and coordinate with warehouse, quality, manufacturing, and engineering so material lines up with the build. * Catch supply and schedule risk early. Find the root cause of a delay, propose a fix, and see it through. * Build the reports and metrics leadership needs on schedule attainment, shortages, and material risk. Ad hoc analysis is a regular part of the week. * Query ERP and PLM data directly with SQL rather than waiting on an analyst to build it for you. * Write small tools and dashboards when the existing systems do not cover something, and make changes to internal web tools where that is what the fix requires. * Maintain traceability from lot receipt through consumption and discard, covering tagging to internal standards, work order assignment, fabrication tracking, and inventory re-entry. * Work with manufacturing engineering, planning, quality, and the internal software teams on BOM accuracy, routing changes, work instructions, and data integrity. * Run the recurring production and material status meetings, and escalate blockers to engineering and program leadership when they need to hear about them. * Track issues and process changes in the team ticketing system and keep the supporting documentation current. * Meet the documentation and material handling requirements that come with a regulated production environment. Required Qualifications * Five or more years in production planning, production control, master scheduling, or material management. Aerospace, defense, or high-tech manufacturing. * Hands-on work in a tier-one ERP with work orders, BOMs, inventory transactions, and MRP output. Oracle, SAP, or a comparable enterprise system. * You have owned a build schedule or a demand signal before, including the recovery when it slipped. * SQL you write yourself. Joins, filters, and aggregates against real production data. * Reporting that people actually used. Metrics, recurring reports, and ad hoc analysis when something breaks. * Enough coding to automate manual work and maintain internal tools. Python, a modern JavaScript framework, or something comparable. We are looking for someone who will implement a system, not just describe one. * Experience in an enterprise PLM environment such as Teamcenter, Windchill, Arena, or Agile, working with BOM structure, part revisions, and engineering change. * Comfort speaking in a group. You will lead status meetings, present to engineering and program leadership, and hold your position when someone pushes back. We screen for this. * On-site in Costa Mesa, CA. This is not a remote role. Preferred Qualifications * High-rate or fast-scaling hardware production. * SIOP or S&OP experience where you ran the meeting yourself. * MES or WMS exposure, and some sense of how ERP, PLM, and shop floor systems fit together. * A BI or dashboarding tool used in production, whatever the flavor. * Python with pandas, and version control with Git. * Moving data between systems with REST APIs or scripts. Pay: $70.00 - $110.00 per hour Work Location: In person