2026 Associate Supply Chain Planning Specialist

About the Role

Northrop Grumman is seeking an Associate Supply Chain Planning Specialist for a hybrid role in Dulles, VA.

Key Responsibilities

• Support development and execution of material plans by aligning supply requirements with established product line priorities and overall business objectives under guidance from senior planners.
• Execute demand‑supply planning activities using MRP tools; maintain and analyze forecasts, review purchase‑material positions, and assist in creating capacity and production schedules.
• Monitor and adjust inventory levels across bills of material (BOMs), helping to balance service levels, working capital, and stock‑out risk in coordination with more senior team members.
• Collaborate with sourcing, operations, and finance to support alignment on inventory targets, address non‑standard part requirements, and escalate critical‑path procurement issues for resolution.
• Contribute to long‑term capacity and resource planning by providing data, analyses, and recommendations that support new product introductions and efficient use of existing assets.
• Develop and present clear supply chain metrics and KPIs (e.g., inventory, on time delivery, material availability) to management, using tools such as Power BI and Tableau to support data driven decisions.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Completed Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with 0-2 years of related experience.
• Major in Supply Chain, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Business with a supply chain/operations emphasis, or similar field.
• Knowledge of MRP/ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or similar) to manage demand, supply, and inventory.
• Understanding of forecasts, material requirements, and bills of material (BOMs) to support planning and inventory decisions.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, basic formulas) for analyzing demand, inventory, and capacity data.
• Knowledge of data visualization tools such as Power BI and/or Tableau to create reports and dashboards that support decision making.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for partnering with sourcing, operations, finance, and engineering.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, taking directions from senior planners while proactively driving assigned tasks to completion.
• Must be able to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite).

Preferred Qualifications

• Overall cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.0 or higher.
• Experience in aerospace/defense or other complex, regulated manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of end-to-end supply chain processes (forecasting, demand planning, S&OP, procurement, production, and logistics).
• Experience performing make vs buy analysis, supporting product phase in/phase out, or managing engineering change impacts on material plans.
• Demonstrated experience optimizing inventory levels (safety stock, reorder points, lead time analysis) across multi-level BOMs.
• Intermediate to advanced skills with Power BI and/or Tableau for building automated reports and visual dashboards.
• Familiarity with lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement concepts applied to planning and material flow.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams (sourcing, operations, finance, engineering) to resolve material or schedule constraints.
• APICS/ASCM CPIM, CSCP, or similar supply chain certification (completed or in progress).

Travel: Yes, 10% of the Time

Relocation Assistance: No

Clearance Required for Start: No

Clearance Type: None