Specialty Buyer

Why work for Nebraska Methodist Health System?
At Nebraska Methodist Health System, we focus on providing exceptional care to the communities we serve and people we employ. We call it The Meaning of Care – a culture that has and will continue to set us apart. It’s helping families grow by making each delivery special, conveying a difficult diagnosis with a compassionate touch, going above and beyond for a patient’s needs, or giving a high five when a patient beats a disease or conquers a personal health challenge. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and a great work environment where all employees are valued! Most importantly, our employees are part of a team that makes a real difference in the communities we live and work in.

Job Summary:

Location: Methodist Corporate Office
Address: 825 S 169th St. - Omaha, NE

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7AM - 3:30 PM

Responsible for purchasing clinical and non-clinical supplies, and completing specialty buying for Methodist Health System. Utilizes Lawson to approve, process purchase orders and reconcile invoice discrepancies. Purchases the highest quality merchandise at the lowest price.

Responsibilities:

Essential Job Functions

Works with approved vendors to purchase specialty supplies and products based on vendor agreements and laboratory management requests.

• Purchases high quality merchandise which meets desired specifications at the lowest price.
• Processes purchase orders for the Health System by entering and reviewing requests into the Lawson purchasing software and verifying prices to ensure orders are accurate and completed within established timeframes.
• Clears all purchase requisitions in the Lawson purchasing system daily by utilizing the Lawson purchase order worksheet (PO23) to create purchase orders to ensure orders are submitted within established timeframes.
• Researches alternate product codes and prepares documentation for new product codes based on capital purchase.

Answers requestor questions by answering emails and phone calls in a friendly and courteous manner to ensure excellent customer service is achieved.

Verifies purchase orders by utilizing the GHX website and verifying the backorder status for each purchase order in case there is a sub needed to ensure the accuracy of vendor pricing and successful submission of the purchase order.

Processes purchase returns for the Health System by utilizing Lawson and working with the Receiving department to ensure incorrect purchases are successfully returned and proper credit is completed for the right department.

Researches missing/misplaced orders by working with receiving personnel and speaking with vendors to ensure problems are resolved, and products are delivered within a timely manner.

Coordinates with customers on special orders and overnight/weekend deliveries by calling in orders directly to the vendor to coordinate the delivery to ensure the product is delivered when needed to the correct location.

Resolves invoice errors by working with Finance to resolve discrepancies and determine root cause to ensure payments to vendors are issued within established timeframes.

Communicates with departments as well as vendors to obtain information, including product information, clarification of terms, and pricing, and resolution of problems, to ensure timely delivery of supplies and equipment.

Communicates delivery delays and product substitutions by working closely with requestors to ensure excellent customer service is achieved.

Updates contracts with price corrections by entering correct information in the purchasing system to ensure correct pricing is available on purchase orders.

Maintains purchasing records, prepares purchasing trend reports ensuring contractual agreements are maintained.

Provides, data coordination and support for VAT initiatives.

• Participates in assigned Value Analysis meetings monthly.

Schedule:

Monday - Friday 7AM - 3:30 PM

Job Description:

Job Requirements

Education

• High School diploma, General Educational Development (G.E.D.) or equivalent required.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred but not required.
• Medical Technology degree highly recommended.

Experience

• 3 - 5 years experience in Medical requisitioning, purchasing and/or FISCAL management required.
• Prior experience in Procurement, Finance, product research and automated purchasing software preferred.

License/Certifications

• N/A

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Knowledge of medical equipment and medical supplies purchasing.
• Ability to solicit bids for specialty medical equipment and supplies.
• Ability to utilize contract management tools to ensure correct contracts are utilized.
• Ability to determine method of procurement, direct, distributor, shipment method and frequency.
• Ability to arrange return shipment of defective product and expedite delivery of goods to users.
• Ability to reconcile invoice processing discrepancies.
• Skill in the use of purchasing software, including Lawson.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Knowledge of interdependent functions shared between Procurement and Accounts Payable.
• Strong verbal communication skills for positive interaction with staff and customers.
• Ability to adapt and succeed in high volume and high pressure situations.
• Able to read, write, and comprehend various written reports and documents.

Physical Requirements

Weight Demands

• Sedentary Work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force.

Physical Activity

• Not necessary for the position (0%):
  • Climbing
  • Crawling
  • Crouching
  • Touching
• Occasionally Performed (1%-33%):
  • Balancing
  • Carrying
  • Grasping
  • Kneeling
  • Lifting
  • Pulling/Pushing
  • Reaching
  • Stooping/bending
  • Twisting
  • Walking
• Frequently Performed (34%-66%):
  • Distinguish colors
  • Fingering
  • Repetitive Motions
  • Sitting
  • Standing
• Constantly Performed (67%-100%):
  • Hearing
  • Keyboarding/typing
  • Seeing/Visual
  • Speaking/talking

Job Hazards

• Not Related:
  • Chemical agents (Toxic, Corrosive, Flammable, Latex)
  • Biological agents (primary air born and blood born viruses) (Jobs with Patient contact) (BBF)
  • Physical hazards (noise, temperature, lighting, wet floors, outdoors, sharps) (more than ordinary office environment)
  • Equipment/Machinery/Tools
  • Explosives (pressurized gas)
  • Electrical Shock/Static
  • Radiation Alpha, Beta and Gamma (particles such as X-ray, Cat Scan, Gamma Knife, etc)
  • Radiation Non-Ionizing (Ultraviolet, visible light, infrared and microwaves that causes injuries to tissue or thermal or photochemical means)
  • Mechanical moving parts/vibrations

About Methodist:

Nebraska Methodist Health System is made up of four hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa, more than 30 clinic locations, a nursing and allied health college, and a medical supply distributorship and central laundry facility. From the day Methodist Hospital was chartered in 1891, service to our communities has been a top priority. Financial assistance, health education, outreach to our diverse communities and populations, and other community benefit activities have always been central to our mission.

Nebraska Methodist Health System is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by Federal, state or local law.