Head of Master Planner

Location: Madrid Tres Cantos, Spain

A Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space is a global space manufacturer delivering, for more than 40 years, high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth Observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Thanks to our diversity of skills, talents and cultures, our customers (governments, institutions, space agencies, telecommunications operators), therefore have Space to Connect, Secure & Defend, Observe & Protect, Explore, Travel & Navigate.

Thales in Spain is a leader in technological solutions applied to Defence, Aeronautics, Security, Transportation and Space and, furthermore, is a global centre for excellence in Space, Security of Critical Infrastructures and Transportation. With a turnover of €320 million and a staff of 1,200, it exports approximately 40% of its total production principally to the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.

We are looking for a Head of Master Planning to lead and develop a key function across our portfolio. This role will further develop a coherent end-to-end multiproject planning view across the full project lifecycle, based on committed dates, business priorities, capacity, resources and constraints. It is a high-impact role with strong visibility, helping the business anticipate issues, support timely decisions and continuously improve execution across projects and product lines.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Master Planning function, including team capability, planning standards, governance, review routines, escalation paths and structured knowledge management.
• Own the end-to-end master planning process across the complete portfolio, turning committed dates and business constraints into robust plans.
• Balance needs, supply, capacity and critical resources across projects and product lines, including rough-cut capacity and resource planning.
• Identify constraints, bottlenecks and future capability needs and support scenario analysis, trade-offs, risk mitigation and recovery plans.
• Provide planning visibility and continuous improvement through KPIs, alignment between strategic and short-term planning and effective use of ERP/MRP/APS tools.
Education & Qualifications
• Bachelor's / Master’s Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Economics or a related field.
• Degree in Project Management, Operations Management or a related field is an advantage.
• APICS CPIM or similar certification is an advantage.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Experience in planning within multiproject environments with complex dependencies of engineering or production activities.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional planning teams and work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong capability in capacity planning and balancing needs and constraints.
• Ability to translate strategic priorities into executable plans.
• Good understanding of ERP/MRP logic and integrated planning process.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, communication and teamwork skills.
• Advanced English, written and spoken.
Desirable
• Experience in high-technology industry (space, aerospace, defence…)
• Experience in both development and production of small and large series
• Understanding of design, integration, testing, qualification and delivery constraints in complex programmes.
• Knowledge of S&OP or Integrated Business Planning
• Experience with SAP, Microsoft Project, Primavera or similar tools.
• Experience setting up or transforming a planning function.
• Fluent in Spanish, written and spoken.

Key competencies

We are looking for someone who is:
• Strategic and structured thinker, comfortable managing complexity and competing priorities effectively.
• Strong leader and team developer with a collaborative cross-functional approach.
• High level of ownership and accountability
• Sound judgement under constraints, with a proactive, resilient and solution-oriented mindset.
• Committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

We value diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criterion listed but bring relevant skills and potential to succeed in the role.

What we offer

- Flexible schedule, from 8 to 9.30 and 16.30 until 18h.

- Thales Concilia: a set of advantages and free services and others at reduced prices.

- Free and healthy canteen.

- Enjoy discounts and special promotions on products and services thanks to Club Ahorro.

- 22 working days of vacation, 6 days of free disposal and closing days that do not consume vacations at Christmas and Easter.

- Thales Flex: Personalized flexible compensation plan in which you can choose how to distribute your salary (health insurance, childcare vouchers, transportation and training).

- Annual bonus.

- Fixed profit bonus of 739,76€.

- Sharing Thales program: become a Thales shareholder.

- Hybrid work plan.

- Pension Plan with monthly contributions on your behalf to your Pension Plan.

- Wellness Plan: thematic webinars and access to our company clubs.

- Medical and physiotherapy service at the workplace.

- We continuously create an inclusive, respectful and cooperative environment.

At Thales Alenia Space we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales Alenia Space employing around 8,900 employees in 10 countries with 17 sites in Europe and a plant in the US, our mobility policy enables employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth #SpaceForLife. Great journeys start here, apply now!