Purchasing and Planning Supervisor

At Thorlabs, we design and manufacture components, instruments, and systems that transform the world by identifying, enabling, and accelerating key photonics (i.e., light-based) technologies. Backed by a dedicated workforce of more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Thorlabs contributes to cutting-edge research and real-world innovation.

Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of experience, you’ll find opportunities to grow, take ownership, and make meaningful contributions from day one. We know every employee brings unique talents and perspectives that fuel our success, and we seek driven individuals who are excited to make an impact in a fun, fast-moving culture.

The position creates an effective team to plan and implement work and ensures parts or materials are available to perform the work; coordinates engineering changes into production; and contributes to capacity planning analyses by specific work centers are done and makes recommendations on capacity. As part of the management structure of OBU they also support other areas of the business as need. E.g., compliance, customer service, strategic planning, etc.

Although the location of the position is in Newton, NJ, from time to time it may be required to undertake duties at other Thorlabs locations.

Essential Job Functions include the following, but are not limited to:

• Manages team of planners and purchasers
• Makes decisions to release, firm, cancel, or defer work based upon current inventory, demand, capacity, and material availability
• Responsible for maintaining appropriate inventory levels. Maintain 98% or greater inventory level at all times on catalog products.
• Plans engineering changes to ensure ECN instructions are clear and compiled with; works with production and purchasing to stop procurement of material affected by change, keeps designated engineers informed of ECN implementation status; coordinates proper rotation of inventory to minimize scrap/reworked parts at incorporation time.
• Troubleshoots potential capacity issues on an ongoing basis.
• Identifies and implements Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) reduction initiatives
• Confers with management personnel to establish production and quality control standards, to develop budget and cost controls, and to obtain data regarding types, quantities, specifications and delivery dates of products ordered.
• Plans and directs production activities and establishes production priorities for products in keeping with effective operations and cost factors.
• Develop and monitor department standards, practices, procedures and utilize ERP via integrated systems to enforce execution.
• Successfully and accurately control ERP system and processes, from forecast upload to generation of all inventory reporting.
• Manage the settlement of financial transactions with Finance so as to establish smooth practice with suppliers.
• Researching new suppliers & negotiating prices

The Company retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Physical Activities: The employee must frequently lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Requirements:
Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience

Education:

• Secondary Education Preferred

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in problem solving & decision Making
• Strong strategic thinking skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication, facilitation, networking and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to Deliver Results
• Strong planning/organizational Skills
• Demonstrated experience in performance management of direct reports
• Strong attention to details.

Pay range for this position is $83,000 - $103,000 depending on experience

Organizational Relationships Direct Reports: Purchaser Planner, Assembler, Team Leaders This position manages all employees of the department and is responsible for the performance management and hiring of the employees within that department.

Thorlabs values its diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law

Benefits:
Thorlabs offers a complete benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, a generous PTO package, a 401(k) plan, and tuition reimbursement just to name a few..