Associate Buyer

McKesson•Irving, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare, delivering insights, products, and services to make quality care more accessible and affordable. The company focuses on the health, happiness, and well-being of its employees and those it serves, fostering a culture of growth, impact, and new ideas. The Associate Buyer supports purchasing and inventory execution by managing day-to-day buying activities, coordinating with suppliers on routine matters, and ensuring data accuracy. This role operates within established processes and approved buying parameters under moderate supervision, with work reviewed for accuracy and adequacy. The Associate Buyer is expected to escalate non-routine exceptions as needed while developing foundational buying and supplier-management skills.

Requirements

Degree or equivalent and typically requires 2+ years of relevant experience.
Bachelor’s degree preferred; however, candidates with an equivalent combination of education and 2+ years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical supply chain, inventory management, or distribution operations will be considered.
Working knowledge of purchasing fundamentals, inventory management concepts, and supply chain basics.
Strong analytical and Excel skills with attention to detail and data integrity.
Ability to follow defined processes while learning to apply judgment.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Inventory management: Pharma supply chain, availability cycles, allocation processes
Coordination: Coordinates communication between sales, DC, suppliers, and procurement for routine execution topics, escalating as needed.
Problem-solving: Resolves routine order exceptions and availability issues; escalates complex issues per established process
Attention to detail: Accurate product availability data and exception tracking
Proactive communication: Identifies potential issues early and keeps internal partners informed, aligning communications to established guidance

Responsibilities

Execute purchase orders based on system demand signals, inventory targets, and approved buying parameters.
Ensure timely placement, confirmation, and follow‑up of orders to support service level and fill rate objectives.
Monitor open purchase orders and resolve routine discrepancies (pricing, quantities, delivery dates).
Escalate exceptions, shortages, and allocation issues to Buyer or Senior Buyer as needed.
Monitor inventory levels for assigned items to identify potential overstock, shortages, or slow‑moving risk.
Flag inventory and supply risks using established reports and dashboards.
Support inventory health initiatives by executing recommended actions within defined guidelines.
Work with Inventory and Operations teams to address routine day‑to‑day execution issues and escalate non-routine issues as needed.
Maintain accurate item, cost, lead‑time, and supplier data in purchasing and inventory systems.
Validate data inputs and outputs to ensure alignment with contracts and internal controls, and escalate discrepancies per established procedures.
Support item setup, maintenance, and cleanup activities to improve data quality.
Identify data discrepancies and escalate systemic issues for resolution.
Communicate with suppliers regarding order status, confirmations, delivery timing, and basic issue resolution.
Track supplier responsiveness and execution issues and provide observations to Buyer/Senior Buyer for awareness and follow-up.
Support supplier file maintenance and documentation.
Participate in supplier interactions primarily focused on execution, not negotiation.
Prepare and distribute routine purchasing and inventory reports.
Support category reviews, audits, and internal requests for information.
Support continuous improvement initiatives related to purchasing processes and controls as assigned.
Build foundational buying, analytical, and system skills through training and on‑the‑job learning.