Coherent

VP of Business Planning and Operations

Coherent • $180K — $220K *
Santa Clara, CA 95051In-Person
Business Services
11 - 15 years of experience
1 month ago
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field; MBA preferred.
  • 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in Business Planning, Operations, or Supply Chain within the High-Tech industry.
  • 5+ years in a senior executive role managing global teams.
  • Extensive experience with enterprise-level ERP systems, preferably Oracle Fusion Cloud.
  • Deep expertise in financial management, including P&L oversight and budgeting.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process aligning strategy with operational execution.
  • Develop actionable business plans and long-range forecasts alongside business unit leaders.
  • Oversee global demand sensing and capacity planning to optimize revenue and inventory health.
  • Collaborate with supply chain leaders to secure strategic capacity and mitigate risks.
  • Utilize Oracle ERP ecosystem for AI/ML-driven decision-making and promote operational autonomy.
  • Drive continuous improvement and standardize processes to enhance operational maturity.
  • Monitor operational metrics to identify bottlenecks and ensure customer satisfaction.

Benefits

  • Access to a hybrid work model for flexibility.
  • Opportunity for global travel to key sites and stakeholders.
  • Engagement in a culture of continuous improvement and digital transformation.
  • Commitment to professional development through advanced analytics and planning tools.
  • Participation in initiatives supporting quality management and environmental standards.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

1. Strategic Business Planning & IBP Leadership
  • Architect and lead the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process, ensuring absolute alignment between the communications BG's strategic roadmap, financial targets, and operational execution.
  • Partner with BU leaders to translate long-term corporate vision into actionable annual and quarterly business plans, long-range forecasts, and strategic growth initiatives across the global BG
  • Lead scenario planning, risk modeling, and strategic resource allocation to balance growth targets with capacity constraints and capital efficiency

2. Global Demand & Capacity Orchestration
  • Oversee the end-to-end global demand sensing and capacity planning lifecycle, balancing dynamic market signals with supply constraints to optimize revenue, margin, and inventory health.
  • Collaborate closely with Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing leaders to secure strategic capacity, mitigate supply risks, and ensure the agility to meet customer commitments in a fast-paced high-tech environment.
  • Lead cross-functional efforts to resolve demand-supply mismatches, ensuring seamless end-to-end execution from order capture to final delivery.

3. Digital Transformation & AI-Driven Decision Making
  • Champion the independent and full utilization of our global Oracle ERP ecosystem, leveraging its embedded AI/ML forecasting and predictive analytics to drive operational autonomy and elevate planning maturity and decision speed.
  • Foster a data-centric culture by building and leading a high-performing team of planners and analysts who leverage advanced analytics to uncover deep insights into market trends, product lifecycles, and operational bottlenecks.
  • Spearhead the continuous evolution of planning workflows by AI-driven analytics, establishing a technologically advanced operational ecosystem that secures the communications BG's competitive edge in business innovation

4. Operational Excellence & Customer Success
  • Drive the communications BG towards world-class operational maturity by implementing continuous improvement frameworks and standardizing global processes to maximize efficiency and agility.
  • Champion a customer-centric operational culture, ensuring that supply chain reliability, product quality, and on-time delivery consistently exceed customer expectations and drive profit growth.
  • Establish and monitor key operational metrics to proactively identify bottlenecks, mitigate risks, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.


Education & Experience
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field is required. An MBA or master's degree from a top-tier institution is highly preferred.
  • Professional Experience: Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in Business Planning, Operations, or Supply Chain within the global High-Tech, Semiconductor, or Hardware industry, with a proven track record of managing operations in a global, matrixed organization.
  • 5+ years in a senior executive capacity, leading global teams and operational strategy in complex, matrixed environments. Requires deep expertise in financial management, spanning P&L oversight, budgeting, scenario modeling, ROI/Capex analysis, and working capital optimization.
  • System Expertise: Extensive hands-on experience with enterprise-level ERP systems (Oracle Fusion Cloud preferred) and advanced planning tools.


Skills & Other Requirements
  • Strategic Leadership & Execution: Exceptional ability to think conceptually and translate high-level corporate strategies into actionable, results-driven operational plans. Proven track record of operating strategically while maintaining a hands-on approach to execution.
  • Organizational Influence & Change Management: Demonstrated expertise in leading large-scale organizational initiatives and change management across multiple business units, geographies, and HR partners. Ability to navigate complex matrixed organizations, influencing stakeholders and establishing relationships as a trusted advisor.
  • Project Management & Implementation: Highly motivated and success-driven with exceptional project management skills. Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and roll out global solutions (including employee experience or operational platforms) from concept and planning through to implementation and results measurement.
  • Communication & Interpersonal Skills: A natural team player with a strong, open, and direct leadership style. Operates with transparency and integrity, free of personal agendas. Possesses outstanding written and verbal communication skills, alongside strong negotiation and conflict resolution capabilities.
  • Analytical Skills: Strong capability in data-driven decision-making, including financial modeling, scenario planning, and interpreting complex operational metrics

Key Competencies
  • Strategic Vision: Ability to anticipate market trends and translate corporate strategy into actionable operational roadmaps.
  • Change Leadership: Proven ability to lead organizational change, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and drive digital transformation initiatives.
  • Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of financial principles, including P&L management, budgeting, ROI/Capex analysis, and working capital optimization.
  • Collaborative Influence: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust, influence without authority, and align diverse stakeholders across Sales, Product, Finance, and Supply Chain.
  • Problem Solving: A proactive and analytical approach to identifying operational bottlenecks and implementing scalable, world-class solutions.


Working Conditions
  • Office Environment: This position primarily operates in a professional office environment. The role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers.
  • Remote & Hybrid Work: As per company policy, this role may involve a hybrid work model, requiring the ability to effectively manage remote teams and utilize digital collaboration platforms.
  • Work Schedule: Standard business hours, though the nature of a global executive role requires flexibility to attend early morning or late evening meetings to coordinate with international teams (EMEA/APAC).
  • Up to 30% travel may be required to visit global offices, manufacturing sites, and key stakeholders.


Physical Requirements

May work in prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer or standing in front of a classroom to facilitate.

Safety Requirements

All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. EHS standards.

Quality & Environmental Responsibilities

Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001, RBA and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.

About Coherent

Coherent, Inc. is a global leader in providing laser-based solutions to a broad range of commercial and scientific research customers. The company designs, manufactures, and markets lasers, laser-based systems, precision optics, and related accessories for a diverse group of customers. Coherent's markets include scientific research, OEM components and instrumentation, microelectronics, materials processing, and life sciences. The company's products are used in a wide range of applications. Coherent was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Learn more about Coherent
Size
5,085 employees
Market Cap
$4.6 billion
Industry
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
-$419.7 million
Founded
1966
5 Year Trend
+27.8%
Revenue
$1.2 billion
NASDAQ
COHR
* Ladders Estimates

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