Director, Supply Chain Inventory/Purchasing (Specialty Solutions)

Job Summary

The Specialty Solutions Inventory Leader plays a strategic leadership role in partnering with sales team and customers to forecast customers demand, and with sourcing and suppliers to maximize product availability to best service customers while optimizing working capital. This role leads the development and execution of demand forecast, inventory strategy, inventory financial planning, inventory purchasing and MSO key account support to achieve world-class customer service for Specialty business while maintaining financial discipline and regulatory compliance. 

This role maintains close communication with the sales team, key customers, sourcing team, suppliers, warehouses and other internal and external partners to ensure reliable product flow, accurate demand forecasts and seamless customer fulfillment. It also ensures accurate data entry and the integrity of databases related to products, suppliers, and pricing. Additionally, the Leader occasionally supervises the registration of new products to ensure regulatory compliance. A key aspect of this role includes leading a team of professionals by setting performance goals, monitoring progress, developing skills, and fostering their success.

This role reports to the Vice President, Supply Chain Inventory/Purchasing. 

Role location is at HQ in Dublin, OH.

Responsibilities

• Budget and manages $3.4B inventory in Rx, Med Surgical, Biooncology, Plasma-Derived and Recombinant biotherapy inventory levels across 2 Distribution Centers, 1 Pharmacy, 4 Emergency Distribution Response Program sites and 550+ consignment locations in support of the Cardinal Health Specialty Pharmaceutical Segment of $43+ billion revenue.
• Strategic leadership & Alignment: Develop and execute demand planning and inventory management strategy to support Cardinal Pharmaceutical Specialty service, growth and profitability goals. Lead cross functional alignment on demand forecasts, supply plans and inventory targets to achieve close to 100% in stock to best service customers while reducing excess inventory.
• Demand forecasting & Planning: Oversee demand forecasting process across SPD and Metro portfolios; Improve forecast accuracy and responsiveness to market changes; Collaborate with key customers and sales teams to incorporate customer insights, and market intelligence in demand plans.
• Inventory Optimization: Drive end-to-end inventory health and accountable for in stock service level and DIOH. Plan Specialty inventory financial plan monthly.
• Supplier & MSO Management: Partner with key suppliers to ensure reliable replenishment. Engage directly with MSO team and key customers to anticipate demand and secure inventory to best service customers.
• Leadership & Culture: Lead, mentor and develop a team of 9 Supply Chain Professionals (1 manager, 3 Consultants, 6 Sr. Analysts) supporting Specialty Distribution (including Metro Medical). Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and operational excellence centered on patient outcomes and service reliability.
• Close collaboration with DCs, Sales, Customer Service, PD Purchasing and Planning with the focus on increasing service and improving customer experience.
• Works closely with all parts of the Specialty business to ensure they service a very critical patient base (typically requires next day treatment).
• Attend Customer calls to help explain product supply disruptions and shortages.
• Attend Sourcing hosted Supplier calls to help sell our Cardinal Health capabilities.
• This team conducts Customer onboarding, emergency new item set ups, item maintenance, prices changes, item eligibility, reviews daily order shortages, emergency order placement or transfers of product, proactive item at risk review, maintains item/Customer allocations, and supply disruption work to ensure we have enough stock of these critical products.  
• Responsible to ensure we optimize inventory levels and reduce inventory reserve by reviewing short-dated product, overstock, and slow-moving items.
• Collaborates with the Operations team around receiving discrepancies, ASN issues, cycle counts, short dates, and location restrictions.
• Work with BridgePark, IM Technology, and Metro Medical Ops/Inventory teams for Metro SAP implementations from a business perspective .Assists in standardizing processes across Metro and SPD as we complete Metro SAP project.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Demand and Supply Chain planning, Inventory Management or End-to-End Supply Chain, preferred
• 5+ years of experience leading a team, preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in related field, or equivalent work experience, preferred
• Experience in pharmaceutical products, preferred
• Inspiring and positive leadership that can motivate a team
• A leader that has technical abilities to identify things we can automate and will coordinate with our Augmented Intelligence and Technology teams to automate
• Lean knowledge and Operational Excellence project creation and participation a plus
• Identify and drive improvements using root cause problem solving skills
• Strong analytical skills and proven ability to analyze data trends with the use of reporting tools (ex. Business Objects, Access, Tableau) and initiate action from findings
• Sense of urgency, accountability, and ability to jump in to help the team when necessary
• Experience with purchasing, warehouse management, and manufacturing systems preferred (IBS, SCORE, SAP, WM etc.)
• Ability to build strong collaborative relationships, communicates effectively, and influences outcomes for internal and external customers
• Strong leadership and organizational skills with the ability to identify and meet milestones
• Considers all risks and possibilities and proactively generates creative solutions
• Comfortable with uncertainty; maintains confidence in an uncertain environment
• Ability to work across teams and levels in the organization
• Ability to travel up to 15%

Anticipated salary range: $116,500 – $197,101

Bonus eligible: Yes

Benefits: Cardinal Health offers a wide variety of benefits and programs to support health and well-being.

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Paid time off plan
• Health savings account (HSA)
• 401k savings plan
• Access to wages before pay day with myFlexPay
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Work-Life resources
• Paid parental leave
• Healthy lifestyle programs

Application window anticipated to close: 12/10/2025 *if interested in opportunity, please submit application as soon as possible.

The salary range listed is an estimate. Pay at Cardinal Health is determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s geographical location, relevant education, experience and skills and an evaluation of internal pay equity.

Candidates who are back-to-work, people with disabilities, without a college degree, and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Cardinal Health supports an inclusive workplace that values diversity of thought, experience and background. We celebrate the power of our differences to create better solutions for our customers by ensuring employees can be their authentic selves each day. Cardinal Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, creed, status with regard to public assistance, genetic status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

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