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 Master Planner to join our team and lead planning and scheduling activities across complex engineering projects.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and maintaining end-to-end project schedules, coordinating cross-functional teams, and ensuring the effective allocation of resources to meet project milestones and delivery commitments. This role requires strong analytical capabilities, planning expertise, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a dynamic engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

Master Planning & Scheduling

• Develop and maintain detailed end-to-end project schedules tailored to each engineering project.
• Coordinate timelines across Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing and Delivery teams.
• Manage project dependencies and critical paths to ensure alignment with business objectives and customer commitments.
• Drive the Master Planning process for hardware engineering projects.

Resource & Capacity Planning

• Analyze resource requirements across multiple concurrent projects.
• Optimize the allocation of workforce, equipment, facilities and materials.
• Perform Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) analyses to assess resource availability and future capacity needs.
• Conduct load balancing and workload leveling activities across projects and functions.
• Support the identification of resource constraints and propose effective mitigation actions.

Multi-Project Management & Monitoring

• Monitor the progress of multiple projects running simultaneously.
• Perform multi-project analysis across different technical disciplines and business functions.
• Evaluate risks, constraints and competing priorities to support informed decision-making.
• Prioritize projects based on delivery commitments, customer needs, resource availability and business objectives.
• Ensure planning consistency and alignment across all project portfolios.

Reporting & Stakeholder Coordination

• Provide regular project status updates to key stakeholders.
• Identify potential delays, schedule risks and bottlenecks, proposing mitigation and recovery plans when necessary.
• Support project teams and management in tracking project performance and delivery milestones.
• Facilitate coordination and communication across departments to ensure successful project execution.

Planning Tools & Methodologies

• Develop and maintain project schedules using planning tools and methodologies.
• Apply project planning techniques such as:
  • Gantt Charts
  • Critical Path Method (CPM)
  • Capacity Planning
  • Resource Loading and Leveling
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of planning processes, tools and reporting practices.

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Economics or a related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Project Management, Operations Management or a related field is considered an advantage.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Experience in project planning, scheduling or project controls within a structured engineering, industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of project scheduling techniques, resource planning and capacity management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience using planning and scheduling tools.
• Knowledge of ERP systems and project management environments.
• Advanced proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Experience in hardware engineering, manufacturing, aerospace, defence or high-technology industries.
• Knowledge of:
  • Microsoft Project
  • Primavera P6
  • Other advanced planning and scheduling applications
• Experience conducting RCCP analysis and resource optimization activities.
• Familiarity with portfolio or program planning environments.

Key Competencies

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Results-driven and committed to meeting deadlines.
• Proactive and solution-oriented.
• Strongly analytical, with the ability to interpret complex project data.
• Able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Capable of influencing stakeholders and driving alignment across functions.
• Adaptable and comfortable working in dynamic project environments.

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!