Senior Buyer & Planner: Drive Strategic Supply & Planning

nLIGHT, Inc.; Camas (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

RSU grants

Paid time off 4 weeks

Health benefits start 30 days

401(k) with company match

Job summary

nLIGHT, Inc. in Camas, WA, seeks a Senior Buyer/Planner to own end-to-end production planning and purchasing for complex product lines. You will translate demand into executable, compliant production and material plans while owning delivery, cost, risk, and supplier outcomes.

You will mentor junior team members, drive continuous improvement, and collaborate with Engineering and Operations to optimize BOM accuracy and planning strategy. Prior DoD/aerospace exposure is valued.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in planning and purchasing, supply chain management, or manufacturing operations; prior Buyer/Planner or production leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, engineering, or a related field preferred, or equivalent practical experience
• Deep planning and purchasing expertise with the 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

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 initiatives focused on planning accuracy, lead time reduction, data integrity, and schedule stability
• Support NPI item tracking and ensure 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 to ensure compliance with contractual obligations
• Ensure compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations, DFARS, and Cost Accounting Standards (FAR, DFARS, CAS)
• Support price and cost analysis of subcontractor proposals, ensuring 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, ensuring alignment across forecast, capacity, inventory, and material strategies
• Own end to end production planning and purchasing for complex product lines, ensuring demand is translated 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

Skills

Planning & Purchasing

Cross-functional influence

Data analysis

Process improvement

Root cause analysis

Supply chain knowledge

Budgeting & cost analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, engineering, or related field

Tools

D365 (ERP)

Job description

nLIGHT, Inc. in Camas, WA, seeks a Senior Buyer/Planner to own end-to-end production planning and purchasing for complex product lines. You will translate demand into executable, compliant production and material plans while owning delivery, cost, risk, and supplier outcomes.

You will mentor junior team members, drive continuous improvement, and collaborate with Engineering and Operations to optimize BOM accuracy and planning strategy. Prior DoD/aerospace exposure is valued.