Sr Buyer/Planner

nLIGHT•Camas, WA

12d•$90,000 - $115,000

About The Position

The Senior Buyer/Planner is the functional expert responsible for end-to-end production planning and purchasing for complex, high-impact product lines. The role translates demand into executable, compliant, and stable production and material plans while owning delivery, cost, risk, and supplier outcomes. It addresses systemic planning, scheduling, and material issues; defines and governs planning standards; mentors junior Buyer/Planners; and drives continuous improvement across planning, purchasing, and ERP disciplines. Success is measured by sustained operational stability, strategic supplier performance, strong cross-functional influence, and improvements in planning maturity and resilience. The position owns production planning and purchasing for assigned product lines, leads supplier and part qualification and negotiations, supports S&OP integration, and partners with Engineering and Operations leadership on planning strategy. It also supports compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations, DFARS, and Cost Accounting Standards, including audits and customer engagements. Applicants must be a US Person under applicable US export control regulations.

Requirements

At least 6 years of experience in planning and purchasing, supply chain management, or manufacturing operations; prior Buyer/Planner or production leadership experience is strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, engineering, or a related field preferred, or equivalent practical experience.
Deep planning and purchasing expertise, including ability to anticipate downstream impacts of changes across the supply chain.
Exceptional cross-functional communication and influence skills.
Advanced proficiency in ERP systems, including D365 filters, exception management, analysis, and optimization.
Proven ability to manage dynamic build plans, rapid prioritization, and urgent escalations in a high-stakes environment.
Advanced analytical capability, including expert use of Excel for data analysis and decision support.
Must be a US Person: a US citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual granted asylum or refugee status.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting Department of Defense, aerospace, or government-funded programs.
Working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, CAS, and subcontract compliance requirements.
Experience performing price analysis, price reasonableness determinations, and supplier proposal evaluations.
Familiarity with supplier source selection, competitive bid evaluations, and sole-source justification documentation.
Experience supporting supplier flow-downs for contractual, quality, cybersecurity, export control, and regulatory requirements.
Exposure to CPSR, DCMA, DCAA, customer audits, or other regulatory reviews.
Experience in AS9100, ISO 9001, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
Knowledge of counterfeit parts prevention, supply chain assurance, supplier risk management, and supply chain resiliency practices.
Familiarity with government property, customer-furnished property, and material traceability requirements.
Experience supporting proposal activities, fact-finding efforts, RFIs, and compliance-driven procurement activities.
Experience leading supplier qualification, supplier development, and supplier performance improvement initiatives.
Experience negotiating long-term supplier agreements, strategic sourcing initiatives, and cost-reduction programs.
Familiarity with ITAR and EAR.

Responsibilities

Optimize production flow by identifying bottlenecks, proposing load-leveling strategies, and balancing capacity, material availability, and demand volatility.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for chronic shortages, Work Order failures, capacity constraints, and systemic execution issues.
Drive continuous improvement in planning accuracy, lead-time reduction, data integrity, and schedule stability.
Support NPI item tracking and planning and purchasing readiness for new product introductions.
Train and mentor Associate Buyer/Planner and Buyer/Planner I/II team members on D365, Work Order discipline, and planning and purchasing methodologies.
Participate in planning optimization initiatives and advanced D365 tooling to improve scalability and decision quality.
Monitor supplier and subcontractor contract performance for compliance with contractual obligations.
Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, and CAS.
Support price and cost analysis of subcontractor proposals in alignment with sector policies and regulatory requirements.
Support audits, customer engagements, and compliance-driven planning and purchasing activities.
Lead supplier and part qualification initiatives to support resiliency, scalability, and compliance.
Lead supplier negotiations and cost-reduction initiatives, balancing cost, quality, delivery, and risk.
Own planning and purchasing standards, work instructions, and governance models, including Work Order policies, frozen fences, and BOM release rules.
Partner with Engineering to govern BOM accuracy, release readiness, and configuration discipline.
Partner with Operations and Engineering leadership to define and drive planning strategy.
Lead planning and purchasing integration into S&OP, aligning forecast, capacity, inventory, and material strategies.
Own end-to-end production planning and purchasing for complex product lines, translating demand into stable, executable, and compliant plans.
Ensure consistent application of planning discipline across teams and programs.
Own supplier-related risk identification and mitigation strategies for assigned product lines.
Serve as a subject matter expert and escalation point for complex planning, material, and supplier issues.
Influence cross-functional decision-making through clear, data-driven communication and leadership presence.

Benefits

Target cash bonus of 5% of earned wages.
Eligible for Restricted Stock Unit grants.
Four weeks of paid time off per year.
Ten paid holidays.
Eligible for health benefits on the first day of the month after the start date.
Medical, dental, and vision benefits, including prescription and orthodontia coverage, with employee-paid premiums as low as $40 per pay period.
Company-paid short-term and long-term disability, and Life & AD&D insurance.
Employee Assistance Program.
Aflac supplemental insurance.
Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
401(k) with company match and immediate vesting.
Jury duty and bereavement leave pay.
Tuition assistance.
Pet insurance.