Buyer – Supply Chain and Data Resource Management

This position is National Remote. You’ll enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in Minneapolis, Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office for a minimum of four (4) days per week.

Optum Insight is improving the flow of health data and information to create a more connected system. We remove friction and drive alignment between care providers and payers, and ultimately consumers. Our deep expertise in the industry and innovative technology empower us to help organizations reduce costs while improving risk management, quality and revenue growth. Ready to help us deliver results that improve lives? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Buyer supports patient care and hospital operations by performing purchasing activities for clinical and non‑clinical departments, ensuring timely, accurate procurement of goods and services. This role manages daily requisition workflow, vendor communication, purchase order placement, price verification, product sourcing, backorder resolution, and contract alignment.

In addition to core purchasing responsibilities, the Buyer also serves as a data resource specialist, supporting system tools such as Smartsheets, ECRI, item master requests, and spend dashboards. The position ensures high data integrity, maintains shared resources, and supports analytics needed for sourcing, contracting, product evaluation, and operational planning.

This position is full-time, Monday – Friday. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our 8-hour shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00am – 5:00pm PST. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime. 

We offer on-the-job training. The hours of the training will be based on schedule or will be discussed on your first day of employment.

                

Primary Responsibilities:

Purchasing & Procurement (Hospital Buyer Responsibilities)

• Review, validate, and process purchase requisitions
• Create and manage purchase orders (POs)
• Validate pricing against contracts and vendor quotes.
• Monitor and resolve backorders.
• Support inventory and PAR replenishment.
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing on cost‑saving initiatives.
• Support product evaluations and Value Analysis workflows.

Data Resource Management (Smartsheets, ECRI & Analytics Support)

• Maintain and update Smartsheet trackers
• Manage ECRI product request intake and updates
• Ensure accuracy of product, supplier, and pricing data
• Support development of dashboards and spend reports
• Provide data integrity oversight
• Prepare reports for leadership and committees

Vendor & Department Liaison

• Communicate with vendors for quotes and issue resolution.
• Coordinate invoice discrepancy resolution with AP
• Provide support to clinical departments.

Team Collaboration

• Partner with Strategic Sourcing, Logistics, AP, and leadership
• Work closely with clinical leaders to align purchasing needs
• Collaborate with Data & Analytics on shared reporting tools
• Participate in huddles, VA meetings, and cross‑functional workgroups
• Share knowledge and support team training

           

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma / GED
• Must be 18 years of age OR older
• 1+ years of purchasing or supply chain experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Experience with Smartsheets or workflow tools.
• Organizational and communication skills.
• Healthcare buying experience.
• Familiarity with GPO contracts.
• Analytical or reporting experience.  
• Ability to work full-time, Monday – Friday. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our 8-hour shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00am – 5:00pm PST. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime. 

             

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with ECRI or item master management.
• Experience in ERP systems – Workday 

             

Telecommuting Requirements:

• Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)
• Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy.
• Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service.

           

Soft Skills:

• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Customer Service Excellence
• Problem Solving
• Data Accuracy
• Vendor Relationship Management
• Adaptability

           

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy   

              

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The hourly pay for this role will range from $20.38 – $36.44 per hour based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

            

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes – an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

                     

                       

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

                 

UnitedHealth Group is a drug – free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.