Planner / Buyer

Coherent•East Granby, CT

23d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for managing the purchase of equipment, supplies, raw materials, and services, as well as production planning activities. The position involves maintaining the integrity of the MRP system, coordinating bids, negotiating contracts, and ensuring smooth purchasing transactions. Additionally, the role supports production planning by generating work orders, maintaining schedules, tracking work-in-progress, and monitoring material availability. The Planner/Buyer will also review and maintain BOM accuracy, monitor production yields, and coordinate with various departments to support production flow.

Requirements

Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 5 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years experience; or equivalent experience.
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.
Understand Purchasing’s role in the ERP/MRP (Oracle preferred) environment along with ability to interface with manufacturing data base systems (Agile).
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.
Must have strong time management skills; Self-motivation is required for timely completion of projects and duties.
Working knowledge of the procurement and supplier management processes.
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.
Must be willing to get involved, ask questions, obtain support from and give to others.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and balance multiple competing tasks.

Responsibilities

Manage processes related to the purchase of equipment, supplies, raw materials, and services for assigned suppliers, categories and manufacturing site.
Participate in developing and monitoring performance against the annual operating budget.
Proactively manage vendors to address on-time delivery, expedite/de-expedite deliveries as necessary.
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.
Leader in cost reduction activity and report them to the supply chain manager on a consistent basis.
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.).
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.
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.
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.
Participate and or lead cross functional teams to meet department goals and objectives.
Must be the commercial expert in all team activities.
Responsible for generating and releasing work orders and maintaining production schedules in the MRP system.
Support production planning activities including schedule updates, tracking WIP progress throughout production, material tracking, and inventory monitoring.
Review and maintain BOM accuracy and support implementation of engineering changes (ECOs).
Monitor production status, material availability, and assist in resolving shortages.
Generate and maintain planning, inventory, and production reports.
Coordinate with manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, and customer service to support production flow.
Monitor manufacturing yields, Lead Time, Safety stock, Shrink %, and Work Order Variance.
Review production status and capacity issues with manufacturing supervisor.
Update on time deliveries, misses, reasons.