Retail Buyer - Beauty

About Uniphar

Uniphar is a global partner to pharmaceutical and MedTech manufacturers, operating with more than 3000 employees across Ireland, the UK, Mainland Europe, MENA, and the USA. The company specializes in improving patient access to medicines worldwide through its outsourced, expert services. Uniphar’s business is structured into three divisions: Supply Chain Retail & On Demand, Uniphar Med Tech, and Uniphar Pharma.

The Supply Chain & Retail division manages pre-wholesale and wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical, healthcare, and animal health products to pharmacies and hospitals nationwide. It supports a wide customer base with strong service levels and innovative commercial initiatives. Additionally, it aids independent community pharmacies to compete effectively by running a network of Uniphar-owned pharmacies under several brand symbols.

The On Demand division sources and distributes pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and consumables to healthcare professionals globally, operating from offices in Ireland, UK, Europe, USA, and New Zealand with multiple specialized sales divisions.

Company Culture

Uniphar combines various businesses with distinct identities but shares core cultural pillars: putting people first, entrepreneurial spirit, a common purpose connecting diverse divisions, and trust as fundamental operating principle. The company values diversity and sustainability as integral to its long-term prosperity with a sustainability strategy directing all decision-making.

Role Summary

The Retail Buyer - Beauty will be a crucial member of the Commercial team, tasked with leading the commercial purchasing strategy for the Beauty and Front of Shop categories across the network of over 200 retail pharmacies.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate and implement the commercial strategy for Beauty and Front of Shop product categories.
• Plan and manage promotional cycles for pharmacies operating under Uniphar’s symbol brands.
• Represent the commercial team in weekly trade meetings.
• Collaborate with the consumer team to source and select premium products for Symbol pharmacies.
• Analyze promotion performance data and supply actionable insights to management.
• Oversee planogram roll-outs and associated support materials.
• Effectively communicate commercial strategies to Operations teams.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to achieve Joint Business Plans (JBP) and ensure planogram adherence.
• Utilize Business Intelligence reporting tools to analyze category and product performance to support decisions.
• Participate in trade shows and supplier events as a commercial team representative.
• Partner with Operations to enhance relationships with symbol and franchise members to boost business.

Daily Duties

• Support commercial buying team activities on a day-to-day basis.
• Ensure sales, margin, and JBP budget targets are met.
• Manage inventory of free-of-charge categories, handling expired or excess stock and assisting stores with product sell-through.
• Provide regular updates on departmental progress to the Commercial Manager.
• Participate actively in weekly commercial team meetings.
• Schedule and prioritize supplier meetings effectively.
• Align retail pricing with margin objectives and competitive market pricing.
• Manage supplier and pricing information in collaboration with database teams.
• Create and maintain a comprehensive promotions calendar reflecting JBP agreements.
• Develop and regularly update category plans and commercial strategies.
• Update planograms according to schedules.
• Contribute information for board reporting concerning Symbol pharmacy updates.
• Attend weekly Uniphar commercial meetings.
• Collaborate with Operations to execute commercial strategy across owned, franchise, and symbol members.

Required Skills and Experience

• At least two years' experience in a related buying role.
• Experience in pharmacy or beauty buying is preferred but not mandatory.
• Strong numerical and analytical capabilities.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Ability to thrive in a diverse and fast-paced work setting.