
Lead Buyer / Planner
Granby, CTFull-timeSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 2 days ago
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Job overview
The Lead Buyer / Planner owns supplier agreements, capacity and allocation commitments, second-source qualification, supplier risk monitoring, and purchasing for high-volume supplies during product ramp. The role governs cost and continuity of supply, maintains purchasing-system integrity and inventory levels, and works with product line management, engineering, internal customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams. It requires a minimum of seven years of related experience and a BS/MS or equivalent degree in a related field.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Job Summary: The Lead Buyer / Planner will own the supplier side of the ramp: strategic agreements with key suppliers, capacity and allocation commitments, second-source qualification for critical materials, supplier risk monitoring, and purchasing of the key high-volume supplies. Works with product line management and engineering to hold one normal configuration per product, so what we buy is what the bill of material says we build.
This person will manage agreements and relationships set up in the first two quarters of product ramp and will govern cost and continuity of supply for the life of the line.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
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Manage processes related to the purchase of equipment, supplies and services for assigned suppliers, categories and manufacturing site.
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Participate in developing and monitoring performance against the annual operating budget.
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Coordinate formal and informal bids, request for quote/qualification (RFQ’S), Request for proposals (RFP’S); ensures all applicable legal and contractual provisions are met; manage and participate in solicitation, evaluation and award of bids; perform or assist others in the performance of price/cost analysis; negotiate contract provisions; prepare specifications as required.
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Leader in cost reduction activity and report them to the management on a consistent basis.
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Maintains the MRP system’s integrity, monitoring indicators, reporting on and ensuring the smooth flow of purchasing transactions (from PO entry, expediting, tracking multi-party component assemblies, assist in part number creation, etc.)
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Create consigned vendor managed inventory (CVMI) or vendor managed inventory (VMI) agreements and maintain proper inventory levels to the benefit of the operation’s performance.
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Determine appropriate contracts for various types of procurement needs; review requisitions/purchase orders and related documents for completeness, accuracy and compliance with department and company procedures and requirements; review invoices and other documentation for accuracy and compliance; resolve disputed invoices.
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Have an in depth understanding of commodities purchased and industry leaders that provide said commodities. Interface with internal customers, work with peer groups and support the purchasing team.
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Participate and or lead cross functional teams to meet department goals and objectives. Must be the commercial expert in all team activities.
Education & Experience
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Minimum 7 yrs. of direct or closely related experience.
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BS/MS or equivalent degree in related field
Skills
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Working understanding of MRP systems, bill of materials (BOM), Accounting, production control, receiving and inventory along with some database management skills will support the requirements of this job.
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Understand Purchasing’s role in the ERP/MRP (Expandable) environment along with ability to interface with manufacturing data base systems (Agile)
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Strong customer service skills are required to be able to interface with internal customers as well as outside suppliers. Must be able to effectively communicate between operations personnel and upper management.
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Must have strong time management skills; Self-motivation is required for timely completion of projects and duties.
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Working knowledge of the procurement and supplier management processes.
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills are required to support internal customer’s and external supplier relationships. Conflict resolution and team development in a dynamic environment requiring the ability to work with and influence others.
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Must be willing to get involved, ask questions, obtain support from and give to others.
Working Conditions
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Normal office environment and climate-controlled manufacturing facilities.
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Work around chemicals (such as solids and acids)
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Weekend availability may be required
Safety Requirements
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Quality and Environmental Responsibilities
Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Culture Commitment
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:
I ntegrity – Create an Environment of Trust
C ollaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas
A ccountability – Own the Process and the Outcome
R espect – Recognize the Value in Everyone
E nthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work
Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected] .
ABOUT US
Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!
Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.
Job Identification: 2015644
Degree Level: Bachelor's Degree
Job Schedule: Full time
Pay Scale: $09,000 t o $127,000
How this job compares
Set against the 1,115 open Buyer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 13, 2026.
- Pay
- This postingNot listed
- US median$74–100K/yr503 salary ranges
- US median$27–33/hr116 hourly ranges
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 22 open Buyer jobs in Connecticut and 1,115 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Connecticut
- Aston Carter2 open
- COHERENT (this employer)2 open
- HEICO2 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 7 years of experience — more than three in four Buyer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 825 postings).
- Education
- 296 of the 1,115 open Buyer jobs (27%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 13, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.
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