Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Purchase Manager with a strong background in pharmaceutical and OTC product procurement, preferably within retail pharmacy operations. The incumbent will be responsible for managing end-to-end procurement, vendor relationships, cost optimization, inventory availability, and ensuring the uninterrupted supply of medicines and healthcare products across multiple retail pharmacy outlets.
The ideal candidate should have strong knowledge of the pharmaceutical supply chain, excellent negotiation skills, and an established network of pharma manufacturers, distributors, stockists, and OTC brands.
Key Responsibilities1. Procurement & Sourcing
- Manage end-to-end procurement of pharmaceutical, OTC, and healthcare products for retail pharmacy stores.
- Identify, evaluate, and onboard reliable manufacturers, distributors, CFA agents, and stockists.
- Ensure timely availability of fast-moving and critical SKUs across outlets.
- Minimize stock-outs and ensure uninterrupted product availability.
- Develop alternate sourcing channels to improve supply continuity and cost efficiency.
2. Vendor Management
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with pharma companies, distributors, CFA agents, wholesalers, and stockists.
- Negotiate product pricing, credit terms, trade margins, schemes, discounts, and commercial terms.
- Evaluate vendor performance based on pricing, product quality, availability, delivery timelines, and service levels.
- Conduct regular vendor reviews and resolve supply or commercial issues.
3. Inventory & Demand Planning
- Coordinate with Store Operations, Sales, and Category teams to understand product demand and forecast requirements.
- Monitor inventory levels and ensure optimum stock availability across stores.
- Track expiry, near-expiry, slow-moving, and non-moving inventory.
- Drive effective expiry management and inventory liquidation initiatives.
- Ensure healthy inventory turnover and efficient working-capital utilization.
4. Compliance & Quality
- Ensure procurement activities comply with applicable pharmaceutical regulations, GST requirements, and company policies.
- Verify product authenticity, batch details, expiry dates, and required documentation.
- Ensure proper batch tracking and purchase documentation.
- Coordinate with Quality and Compliance teams wherever required.
5. Cost Optimization
- Identify opportunities for procurement cost reduction through:
- Bulk purchasing
- Alternate sourcing
- Vendor negotiations
- Better commercial terms
- Product substitution / alternate brands where appropriate
- Monitor market prices, pricing fluctuations, schemes, and competitor benchmarks.
- Develop strategies to improve gross margins while maintaining product availability and quality.
6. MIS & Reporting
- Prepare and maintain periodic reports related to:
- Procurement spend
- Vendor performance
- Product availability
- Inventory levels
- Expiry and slow-moving stock
- Cost savings
- Purchase trends
- Maintain accurate purchase records, vendor documentation, and procurement data.
- Provide actionable insights to management for procurement and inventory decisions.
Key RequirementsExperience
- 5–10 years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical / OTC procurement or purchase.
- Experience preferably from:
- Retail pharmacy chains
- Hospital pharmacies
- Pharma distribution / stockist networks
- Healthcare / FMCG retail organizations
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in B.Pharm / B.Sc / Commerce / Supply Chain / Operations or a related field.
- MBA in Supply Chain / Operations / Procurement will be an added advantage.
Required Skills
- Strong understanding of pharmaceutical and OTC products and their supply chain.
- Excellent vendor management and commercial negotiation skills.
- Knowledge of expiry management, batch tracking, inventory management, and procurement processes.
- Strong understanding of pharma distribution channels and trade practices.
- Proficiency in ERP systems and MS Excel.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong attention to detail and commercial acumen.
Preferred Candidate Profile
- Prior experience managing procurement for multiple retail pharmacy stores / outlets.
- Strong existing network of pharma distributors, stockists, manufacturers, and OTC brands.
- Experience handling a large SKU portfolio and high-volume procurement.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced retail environment.
- Strong ownership, decision-making, and result-oriented approach.
- Ability to balance product availability, margins, inventory levels, and working capital.
Pay: ₹500,000.00 - ₹1,200,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
