If you are a current Duly/SBC/QMG employee, please apply through the Internal Career Site.
Senior Category Manager, PharmacyFull-Time, Monday- Friday, Normal Business Hours
Location: Downers Grove, IL; Hybrid
The Senior Category Manager, Pharmacy leads sourcing and category strategy for Duly Health enterprise pharmaceutical and drug-related spend categories, driving cost savings, cost avoidance, supply reliability, and contract compliance across the organization. This role manages the full sourcing lifecycle for assigned categories - from market analysis and RFP execution to GPO and manufacturer contract negotiation and supplier relationship management - balancing cost efficiency with the clinical, regulatory, and continuity-of-supply requirements unique to pharmaceutical sourcing. This role requires a working knowledge of specialty pharmaceutical landscapes such as biosimilars, oncology, specialty distribution and specialty GPO. This knowledge is in addition to a clear understanding of Infusion, MID Pharmacy, Retail and Physician Office space.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Category Strategy & Sourcing ExecutionSet and own the multi-year sourcing strategy for pharmaceutical and drug-related spend categories, ensuring sourcing decisions align with clinical, financial, and continuity-of-supply objectives.
- Assists in the development of the multi-year category strategy for clinic and pharmacy drug spend, determining when and how to execute GPO contract evaluations, direct manufacturer negotiations, and formulary-driven sourcing events to maximize value
- Synthesizes drug pricing trends, manufacturer landscape shifts, shortage risk, and GPO contract changes into forward-looking category strategies, rather than reacting to individual sourcing events
- Identifies and drives value beyond traditional GPO contract capture - including alternative sourcing strategies, rebate maximization, and total cost of ownership improvements
- Develops cost reduction goals leveraging drug margin impact reporting and working closely with AI drug choice optimization tools.
- Participates in complex, high-value negotiations with manufacturers, GPOs, and specialty distributors, and sets negotiation strategy for the broader category team
- Establishes scalable sourcing processes and playbooks - including shortage response protocols - that improve efficiency and consistency across the pharmacy category portfolio
Stakeholder Engagement & Value CommunicationServe as a trusted advisor to executive and clinical leadership, shaping how pharmacy sourcing strategy informs broader clinical and financial decisions.
- Serves as a trusted advisor to executive and pharmacy leadership, shaping sourcing strategy discussions rather than simply gaining alignment on recommendations
- Builds and presents business cases and financial models that influence enterprise-level decisions, including GPO participation, formulary standardization, and specialty drug sourcing tradeoffs
- Owns the narrative on value delivered and future opportunity, presenting savings, rebate capture, and drug shortage risk mitigation to senior leadership and finance stakeholders
- Cultivates senior-level relationships across Pharmacy, Finance, Legal, and clinical leadership to ensure category strategy is embedded in broader organizational and clinical planning
Supplier Management & GovernanceOwn supplier and manufacturer governance and risk strategy for the pharmacy category portfolio, ensuring long-term relationships are structured to deliver sustained value and supply continuity.
- Owns the supplier and manufacturer governance model for the category, including business review cadence, scorecard methodology, and escalation frameworks
- Assesses and manages supplier and manufacturer risk at a portfolio level, including financial health, single-source exposure, and drug shortage continuity planning
- Sets standards for Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) practices across the category, ensuring GPO and manufacturer contracts remain consistent and audit-ready
- Shapes and reinforces procurement and regulatory compliance policy - including DEA, FDA, and state board of pharmacy requirements - and training approach across the category function
SUPERVISORY/MANAGEMENT SCOPE Responsible for spend of $350M across pharmacy and drug categories.
MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Level of EducationBachelor's degree
Field of Study (if applicable)
Business, Finance, Supply chain, or other related field
Years of Experience7+ years
Describe Type of Experiencesourcing and category management function, Required in Pharmacy and Drug
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSA) - Working knowledge of GPO contracting, purchase order lifecycle management, and Category Management Strategies
- High proficiency with Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with clinical staff, vendors, and department leadership
- Experience delivering on aggressive savings targets
- Understanding of working capital and driving payment term extensions
- Excellent communication and influencing skills - comfortable engaging stakeholders at all levels, including executives
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously
- Strong negotiation skills with experience structuring and managing contracts end-to-end
If you are committed to putting our patients first and helping shape the future of care, you belong at Duly.
The compensation for this role includes a base pay range of
$116K-174K, with the actual pay determined by factors such as skills, experience, education, certifications, geographic location, and internal equity. Additional compensation may be available through shift differentials, bonuses, and other incentives. Base pay is only a portion of the total rewards package.
Artificial Intelligence DisclosureArtificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
