Purchaser Planner I

Thorlabs; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 57,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance

PTO

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Thorlabs is seeking a Purchaser Planner I for the Virginia Imaging Systems Group. The role supports planning, purchasing, forecasting, and inventory management, coordinating with operations, manufacturing, R&D, and overseas offices.

Expect responsibilities in daily purchasing, lead-time calculations, cost-reduction efforts, and reporting. Minimum 1 year of related experience and a high school diploma are required, with a strong emphasis on Excel and ERP proficiency.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year of experience in purchasing/planning.
• Experience with ERP systems and data analysis.
• Strong inventory planning and forecasting abilities.
• Excellent Excel and data management skills.
• Ability to work across functions and changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Inventory Control and Inventory Planning (Safety Stock, forecast, build/order size).
• Purchasing (Daily purchasing, expediting, data management).
• Generate special and periodic reports as required or directed.
• Review documents and data for accuracy and completeness.
• Review company back orders and monitor lead times.

Skills

Inventory planning

Forecasting

ERP navigation

Transaction processing

BOM knowledge

Ownership

Written communication

Excel skills

Organization

Prioritization

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

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, Thorlabscontributes 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 is responsible for but not limited to assisting planning, purchasing, forecasting, and inventory management for the Virginia Imaging Systems Group by:

• Working with operations, manufacturing, Engineering R&D, internal sales, and overseas offices
• Negotiating prices, establishing lead times and purchasing products
• Planning, scheduling of machine shop and inventory management. Responsibilities of the Purchaser Planner I position will include, purchasing consumables and project work to reduce costs and improve processes, as well as, ongoing vendor evaluations Works under general supervision.

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

• Inventory Control and Inventory Planning (Safety Stock, forecast, build/order size).
• Purchasing (Daily purchasing, expediting, date and data management).
• Initiates and participates in purchasing improvement and cost reduction programs.Generate special and periodic reports as required or directed.
• Review Document and Data.
• Review company back orders.
• Product Availability and Lead Time calculation.

Experience

Minimum 1 years of experience in a similar position.

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent or equivalent work experience

Specialized Knowledge and Skills

• Strong Inventory planning skills
• Understanding of safety stock, forecasting, and made-to-order products
• Strong understanding of how a product moves through an ERP system
• Strong knowledge of transaction processing
• Knowledge and understanding of BOMs and how they impact the forecast, purchase, and manufacturing requirements
• Strong sense of ownership
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Excel
• Excellent organizational skills
• Strong ability to work well in a group atmosphere and comply with high-quality standards.
• Strong ability to shift from one task to another to address changing production priorities.

The estimated pay range for this role is $57,000 - $ 71,000 annually

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 identify 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.

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.