Vice President, Procurement - Communications

Coherent

About The Position

This role serves as the primary procurement business partner to the Communications GM and leadership team. The successful candidate will develop and execute a multi-year procurement strategy aligned with Communications business priorities, technology roadmap, customer programs, and margin goals. This leadership position will oversee sourcing and supplier strategies across a wide range of categories including direct materials, engineered components, electronics, optics, mechanicals, contract manufacturing, capital equipment, logistics, and indirect spend. A key aspect of this role involves early engagement in product development and NPI to influence design-to-cost, design-to-source, supplier selection, and supply readiness. The role requires building and managing a global supplier network that supports cost, quality, delivery, innovation, capacity, responsiveness, and risk requirements. The Vice President will lead major supplier negotiations and drive cost savings, productivity, cost avoidance, working-capital improvement, and gross margin expansion. Developing supply assurance strategies for critical components and improving supplier performance through various metrics and reviews are also key responsibilities. Additionally, the role involves providing leadership with market insights on supplier trends, technology constraints, and supply-chain exposures, as well as strengthening procurement analytics, processes, and systems. The position includes leading, mentoring, and developing a high-performing procurement team.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, finance, engineering, operations, or a related field.
15+ years of progressive procurement, sourcing, supply chain, operations, or manufacturing leadership experience.
Experience leading procurement for technically complex products, direct-material categories, electronics, optics, communications systems, or advanced technology businesses.
Strong background in strategic sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiation, cost reduction, supplier risk management, and procurement operations.
Demonstrated ability to partner with senior business leaders, GMs, CTOs, engineering, operations, finance, supply chain, and quality teams.
Experience supporting NPI, product roadmap execution, supplier readiness, and production ramp planning.
Strong financial acumen, including the ability to connect procurement actions to gross margin, operating income, inventory, cash flow, and business growth.
Experience leading global teams and influencing across matrixed organizations.
Strong executive communication, negotiation, analytical, and decision-making skills.

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Experience in communications infrastructure, optical networking, transmission systems, transport systems, photonics, electronics, advanced components, or complex systems manufacturing.
Experience managing suppliers for custom components, engineered materials, optics, electronics, contract manufacturing, or high-reliability technical products.
Experience in businesses with demanding customer commitments, rapid product transitions, long lead times, and high technical complexity.
Experience with procurement transformation, supplier-base optimization, should-cost programs, value engineering, digital procurement tools, or global category management.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary procurement business partner to the Communications GM and leadership team.
Develop and execute a multi-year procurement strategy aligned with Communications business priorities, technology roadmap, customer programs, and margin goals.
Lead sourcing and supplier strategies across direct materials, engineered components, electronics, optics, mechanicals, contract manufacturing, capital equipment, logistics, and indirect spend.
Partner closely with engineering, product management, operations, supply chain, finance, quality, and legal to align supplier strategies with business needs.
Engage early in product development and NPI to influence design-to-cost, design-to-source, supplier selection, and supply readiness.
Build and manage a global supplier network that supports cost, quality, delivery, innovation, capacity, responsiveness, and risk requirements.
Lead major supplier negotiations, including pricing, payment terms, supply commitments, service levels, quality obligations, and commercial risk protections.
Drive cost savings, productivity, cost avoidance, working-capital improvement, and gross margin expansion.
Develop supply assurance strategies for critical components, single-source suppliers, constrained technologies, long-lead materials, and customer-critical programs.
Improve supplier performance through scorecards, executive business reviews, supplier development, and corrective-action plans.
Provide leadership visibility to supplier-market trends, technology constraints, cost drivers, capacity risks, and supply-chain exposures.
Strengthen procurement analytics, processes, systems, reporting, and operating cadence.
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing procurement team.
Deliver annual and multi-year savings, productivity, and gross-margin improvement commitments.
Improve supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, innovation, capacity, and risk.
Strengthen supplier readiness for NPI, product ramps, customer-critical programs, and roadmap execution.
Reduce exposure to single-source, long-lead, constrained-technology, and supply-continuity risks.
Build strong stakeholder confidence with the Communications GM, CTO, BU leaders, operations, engineering, finance, quality, supply chain, and enterprise procurement.
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position.
Execute and maintain 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.