Assistant Buyer

Contract: Permanent

Recruitment Partner: Shannon Linton

Unlock Your Potential: Join a Dynamic Team that will allow you to grow your skills in a specialist area of the business. You will work in a team of seasoned negotiators in the specialist field of prescription medicines, building relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure dispensing profit is maximised by finding every opportunity available.

The role is full time & based at the Support Office in Weybridge.

The wider team

The wider ethical team are responsible for the development of the pharmaceutical Prescribed medicine (Rx) category through effective and extensive internal and external activities. We work with other teams within Boots, WBA and Alliance Healthcare (our current preferred wholesaler) to ensure we get the maximum value from the Rx products we dispense. We also work with pharmaceutical manufacturers (Pharma) to provide solutions across the product lifecycle from the launch of new products to the refresh of established brands building relationships and brand value within the pharmaceutical industry.

About the role

In your role you will report to the Head of Ethical Commercial, supporting in the delivery of budgeted Pharmacy buying profit using market knowledge and commercial negotiation skills to agree, maximised, Brand Equalisation Deals (BED) with pharma and to support ongoing BED activity.

• Support Ethical Commercial team in commercial negotiations between Boots and pharma to secure enhanced discounts on branded medicines and devices.

• Identify opportunities to maximise the margin on products with new as well as current suppliers by combining report analysis with Industry knowledge.

• Apprise Pharma of the benefits of entering into a BED and explaining the implementation process.

• Undertake negotiations with new suppliers.

• Collaborate with Generics and Parallel Import category teams at our Alliance Healthcare to support the preferred product selection process.

What you’ll need to have

• Ideally experienced in Healthcare and Commercial activity either with a knowledge of dispensing products and/or purchasing.

• Ability to think creatively and identify opportunities.

• Self-confident, able to manage priorities, with good communication and networking skills in both internal and external environments.

• Good Negotiation skills.

• Focused on customer service both internal and external.

• A proficient knowledge of Excel and other Windows applications.

Our benefits

• Boots Retirement Savings Plan
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Generous employee discounts
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
• Flexible benefits scheme including holiday buying, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and more.
• Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.

We have a great range of benefits in addition to the above that offer flexibility to suit you - find out more at boots.jobs/rewards. Please note, any salary estimates given on third-party sites are not provided or endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.

Why Boots

At Boots, we foster a working environment where consideration and inclusivity help everyone to be themselves and reach their full potential. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all. As the heart of everything we do at Boots, it's with you, we change for the better.

What's next

Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.

This role requires the successful candidate to complete a Pre-employment check after receiving an offer. Depending on your location you will be asked to submit either a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service), PVG (Protection of Vulnerable groups) or an Access NI Check.

Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case-by-case basis.