Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Fuselage Assembly • CMM • Final Assembly

BOM

Term from Aircraft Manufacturing industry explained for recruiters

BOM, or Bill of Materials, is like a detailed recipe or parts list for manufacturing aircraft. It lists every single component needed to build an aircraft, from the smallest screw to the largest engine part. Think of it as a master shopping list that shows not just what parts are needed, but also how many of each part, their specifications, and how they fit together. Manufacturing companies use BOMs to keep track of inventory, plan purchases, and ensure they have all necessary components before starting production. Other terms you might see are "Parts List," "Product Structure," or "Assembly List."

Examples in Resumes

Managed BOM creation and updates for Boeing 737 landing gear assemblies

Reduced production costs by 15% through Bill of Materials optimization

Led team responsible for maintaining BOMs across 5 different aircraft models

Typical job title: "BOM Specialists"

Also try searching for:

BOM Coordinator BOM Analyst Materials Planner Production Planner Manufacturing Engineer Configuration Manager Parts List Specialist

Where to Find BOM Specialists

Professional Organizations

Online Communities

Job Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you handle a major BOM restructuring project for multiple aircraft models?

Expected Answer: A strong answer should discuss experience managing large-scale BOM changes, including risk assessment, team coordination, and ensuring production continues smoothly during transitions. They should mention how they would maintain accuracy and communicate changes to all departments.

Q: Describe how you would implement a new BOM management system across an organization.

Expected Answer: Look for answers that show experience in change management, training staff, ensuring data accuracy during migration, and maintaining production schedules while implementing new systems.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you ensure BOM accuracy and handle revision control?

Expected Answer: Candidate should explain their process for checking BOM accuracy, including cross-referencing with engineering documents, maintaining revision history, and coordinating with various departments.

Q: What steps do you take when you discover a discrepancy in a BOM?

Expected Answer: They should describe their problem-solving process, including verifying the error, assessing impact, communicating with relevant teams, and implementing corrections.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is a BOM and why is it important in aircraft manufacturing?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain that a BOM is a comprehensive list of all parts needed to build an aircraft and why accurate BOMs are crucial for production planning and inventory management.

Q: What are the key components of a BOM?

Expected Answer: Should mention part numbers, quantities, descriptions, specifications, and hierarchical structure showing how parts relate to assemblies.