Procurement and Inventory Specialist Position Objective: The Procurement and Inventory Specialist plays a critical role in maintaining supply chain resiliency, efficient inventory, minimizing costs, and fostering strong vendor relationships as well as strong relationships with clinical teams when there is a need to source alternative products. This role organizes, schedules, executes daily departmental activities including working in financial systems that manage the inventory and procurement operations of the health system, as well as contract management systems such as Global Health EXchange -Contract Center System (GHX CCS) , and group purchasing organization (GPO) systems. The role provides subject matter expertise which is critical to successful vendor relationship management, inventory management, cost containment, process and quality improvement, and supply chain customer service.

The Procurement and Inventory Specialist is responsible for ensuring optimal inventory levels to meet customer and operational needs by placing and managing stock replenishment orders or orders for products that are used across the health system by clinical inventory locations. This role also involves coordinating with vendors to resolve issues such as back orders, cost changes, delayed or short shipments, invoice discrepancies, and product returns. When alternative products require sourcing due to manufacturer backorder issues, the Procurement and Inventory Specialist plays a critical role in product identification, sourcing, price negotiation and delivery timing to maintain smooth hospital operations in the support of patient care.

Essential Job Duties: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions: Exercises appropriate judgment and executes orders to maintain supply stability for the health system, this role is critical in maintaining operations for the health system, particularly in times of supply shortages; understands the critical nature of products and escalates issues that are not resolvable. Monitor inventory and item demand levels; analyzes inventory turnover; adjusts ordering to minimize inventory excess and avoid stockouts. Leads the procurement effort on Low Unit of Measure distribution program expansion, constantly looking at inventory items to determine if they are “good candidates” for this unique distribution program with the primary distributor.

Requirements

Conveys appropriate demand levels to distribution supplier partners to achieve optimal order fill rates. Tracks open orders; resolve delays and discrepancies promptly and works with supply chain site managers when there are issues that might impact supply availability. Negotiates with vendors to address pricing, shipping, invoicing, and quality issues and strives to achieve (and maintain) Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) contract pricing and purchasing compliance.

Assists health systemwide inventory areas and other stakeholder departments in researching and purchasing best value products to ensure the proper needs and goals of the health system are maintained, in terms of product availability, GPO compliance, product standardization and approved product use. Assists departments (internal Supply Chain, inventory areas or departments with ad-hoc requests, returns, ordering issues and order status updates pertaining to their orders. Coordinates the supply chain response to backorders or ordering delays related to orders.

Collaborates with various supply chain leadership to identify potential substitute product. Engages with departments, suppliers, the Supply Chain site leaders and the Clinical Value Analysis Manager to resolve the immediate supply need.