Job Details

Buyer Position

The Buyer represents the health system by performing the procurement process to support the daily operations of East Tennessee Children's Hospital. The Buyer coordinates with the Supply Chain Management team to deliver quality products at the most cost-effective price for our patients while providing excellent customer service and communication to all departments and facilities within the health system.

Reports To: Manager of Procurement, Value Analysis and Contracting

Job Requirements:

Supervisory Responsibilities: NO

Number of Direct Reports: Not specified

Minimum Education: High School Diploma Required. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field and 3+ years' experience in Healthcare Supply Chain preferred or 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in Supply Chain and Procurement in lieu of degree.

Degree: Not specified

License/Certification Required: Certified Materials Resource Professional is preferred.

Minimum Work Experience: Proven experience as a Buyer or similar procurement role. Previous work experience in a Supply Chain environment with 3+ years procurement experience. Healthcare experience preferred. Demonstrated knowledge of theory and practices of purchasing, including ethics, standards, contract compliance, competitive bidding procedures, quality control; data collections techniques for establishing sources of supply, product, and vendor information; process improvement; market research techniques, analysis, contracting, capital planning, accounting, budgetary controls, vendor management and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) applications preferably Workday.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Intermediate accounting and business skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Demonstrates critical thinking, analytical skills, and critical thinking skills to manage day to day challenges. Ability to solve practical problems, interpret a variety of information whether presented in written, oral or diagram form and the ability to multi-task.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Expresses self in a clear and concise manner. Listens and follows directions and asks for clarification when needed.
• Proactively communicates backorders, discontinuations, allocation issues and delivery delays to the requestor. Promptly and effectively communicates any issues allowing departments ample to make decisions that could impact patient care. Confirms delivery dates of all orders and communicates any problems with requisitioning department.
• Plans workload appropriately and demonstrates effective time management. Organizes work to accomplish objectives and meet assigned deadlines.
• Demonstrates sound fiscal management. Controls waste and expenses. Performs within budget.
• Maintains effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusts effectively to new work structures, processes, or requirements or to work within a new culture.
• Utilizes all available web-based resources such Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX) and Vizient's Member Dashboard to confirm pricing and contracts available.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks while remaining meticulous are necessary.
• Demonstrates respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitors, and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible, and courteous environment.
• Demonstrates tact, courtesy, and a positive approach to communication and interaction with other employees, visitors, physicians, and the public.
• Proactively works to be an effective member of the team through support and cooperation with others.
• Consistently works to maintain highest level of communication and customer service within own department and the organization.
• Possesses personal and professional values consistent with those required by the system and positively contribute to the team approach.
• Maintains and protects confidentiality regarding all aspects of information obtained.
• Utilizes hospital resources and time respectfully and accountably.
• Coordinates work to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency during workday.
• Demonstrates an understanding of all related external supply chain factors including Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) relationships and services and supplier capabilities.
• Manages procurement activity to ensure contract compliance to enhance efficiency and to maximize rebates and savings with our Group Purchasing Organization (GPO).

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates understanding of purchasing fundamentals and processes, accounting principles, business communication, contracts, department policies, purchasing and contracting policy and procedures and actively pursues opportunities to allow the department to run more efficiently and serve its customers better.
• Ensures that all purchase orders are processed on schedule with the correct quantity at the correct price taking into consideration any local, regional, or Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) contracts to minimize invoice discrepancies.
• Confirms and verifies pricing and quantities daily on all orders to ensure that vendors have the correct price and contract loaded for all facilities within the organization to prevent exceptions. Proactively works with the Finance team to resolve exceptions and issues.
• Ensures that all purchase orders are received within expected delivery date.
• Proactively works with Surgical Services and Supplier Representatives to complete the Bill Only process. All implants need to be submitted to be built in Workday within 24hrs of date of service to ensure proper billing of patient.
• Resolves and communicates all backorders daily and satisfactorily. Sources backordered product from a different distributor location, vendor or arranges for a clinically approved substitution whenever possible or necessary.
• Collaborates with Shipping/Receiving to ensure receiving problems are managed within 24 hours and that all product returns are processed within vendors requirements.
• Promptly and effectively communicates any issues such as discontinuations, allocation issues and delivery delays to the requestor allowing departments ample to make decisions that could impact patient care. Confirms delivery dates of all orders and communicates any problems with requisitioning department.
• Assists in the procurement process training for hospital employees.
• Coordinates efforts to create and keep all requisition templates current within Workday. Also, identifies needs for additional requisition training for all departments.
• Assists in maintaining Workday data integrity.
• Identifies opportunities to establish order days and times with vendors and departments to increase efficiencies within Supply Chain Management.
• Ensures all rentals initiated by SCM and Surgical Services are managed and returned as soon as possible to minimize expense.
• Identifies opportunities to move low volume and direct supplier items to a distributor to efficiency and savings.
• Proactively works and communicates with the Manager of Procurement, Value Analysis & Contracting on product changes, standardization projects, and contract pricing resolutions.
• Identifies opportunities for savings, standardization, and waste elimination.
• Proactively works with Supply Chain Manager to identify nonstock items that meet criteria to added to the Main Warehouse inventory as stock.
• Demonstrates effectiveness in identifying future needs and problem areas of the department and developing workable solutions.

Physical Requirements:

• Light lifting, pushing and pulling is required for 10-20 lbs. occasionally and frequent moving of objects of less than 10 lbs. is required. Frequent sitting with some walking, standing, squatting, bending and reaching is required. Keyboard/computer use and/or repetitive motions may be required.

Come work where you can make a difference everyday.