Buying Administration Assistant

Direct Chemist Outlet Pty; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Direct Chemist Outlet Pty in Australia is seeking a dedicated Buying Assistant to join our Growing Buying & Merchandising team. You will assist with category reviews, sales analysis and supplier communications while learning how buying decisions come to life across our pharmacy network.

You’ll gain exposure to category management, product performance and merchandising, working closely with Buyers, stores and suppliers in a fast-paced national network.

Qualifications

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas and data reporting.
• Excellent attention to detail and high accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Confident written and verbal communication skills.
• A practical approach to problem-solving and following tasks through to completion.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Willingness to assist in stores and warehouse operations when required.
• Genuine interest in retail, buying, merchandising or category management.

Responsibilities

• Assist Buyers with category reviews, sales analysis and product performance reporting.
• Identify opportunities, gaps and underperforming products within categories.
• Support new product introductions, range changes and discontinued products.
• Prepare reports and maintain accurate product and supplier information.
• Attend supplier meetings and coordinate follow-up actions.
• Contribute to weekly reports and buying team reporting.
• Assist catalogue administration, data validation and proofing.
• Review spreadsheets, formulas and promotional information for accuracy.

Skills

Excel

Attention to detail

Organization

Communication

Problem solving

Independent work

Team collaboration

Retail understanding

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Buying Assistant

Direct Chemist Outlet | Buying & Merchandise Team

Love retail, enjoy working with numbers and want to learn what happens behind the scenes of a growing pharmacy business?

At Direct Chemist Outlet (DCO), we're looking for a Buying Assistant who is organised, curious, great with detail and ready to get involved.

This isn't just a job about spreadsheets and administration (although there's definitely plenty of both!).

It's an opportunity to work alongside our Buying and Merchandise team, gain exposure to suppliers and leading retail brands, understand how buying decisions are made and see how those decisions come to life across our pharmacy network.

Experience matters. Attitude matters just as much.

Why this role matters

With approximately 160 pharmacies nationally and a growing network, there's a lot happening behind the scenes at DCO.

Every catalogue, product launch, category review and store merchandising change involves people working together to get the details right.

That's where you come in.

You'll help keep our Buying and Merchandise team running smoothly, ensuring information is accurate, suppliers are followed up, reports are completed and stores have the support they need.

You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about category management, product performance, buying decisions and merchandising.

It's a varied role, and no two weeks will necessarily look the same.

What you’ll be doing

• Assist Buyers with category reviews, sales analysis, product performance reporting and range decisions.
• Help identify opportunities, gaps and underperforming products within categories.
• Support new product introductions, range changes and discontinued products.
• Prepare reports, maintain accurate product and supplier information, and assist with supplier communications.
• Attend supplier meetings when required and help coordinate follow-up actions.
• Contribute to our Weekly Wrap and other Buying team reporting.

Helping bring our catalogues and promotions to life

• Assist with catalogue administration, data validation and proofing when required.
• Review spreadsheets, formulas and promotional information to ensure accuracy.
• Support supplier submissions through Nexus, following up missing information, errors and deadlines.
• Assist with promotional comparison reporting and monthly reporting.
• Prepare and review DCO Catalogue Reports, investigate discrepancies and follow up supplier credits through to completion.
• Support stores with catalogue reporting enquiries.

Making our stores look and perform better

• Assist with the development and maintenance of planograms (the layouts that determine where products sit on shelves).
• Use sales, gross profit, rate of sale and product performance data to support merchandising decisions.
• Help review product ranges, shelf space and opportunities to improve category performance.
• Participate in store visits to trial and implement new layouts.
• Help measure shelving and merchandising space, review trials and provide practical feedback.
• Upload approved planograms to SharePoint and communicate changes to stores.
• Work with Buying, Operations and stores to resolve implementation issues.

Supporting our Direct Pharmacy Warehouse (DPW)

• Assist with stock data entry, new product records, stock adjustments, pricing and invoicing.
• Prepare warehouse reports, stock valuations and weekly meeting information.
• Support group orders, fragrance allocations and end-of-month invoice processing.
• Help investigate stock discrepancies and resolve administrative issues.
• Occasionally assist within the warehouse during busy periods or when additional operational support is needed.

Being part of the wider DCO team

• Work closely with suppliers, stores, Operations and other departments.
• Help resolve enquiries and follow issues through to completion.
• Provide occasional reception coverage and general business support.
• Assist with conferences, events and key business activities when required.

The type of person we're looking for

You have a genuine can-do attitude

When something doesn't go to plan, you're the person who asks, "How can we fix this?" rather than leaving it for someone else. You're practical, resourceful and happy to help.

You love getting the details right

You notice when a number doesn't add up, a report looks unusual or something has been missed. You understand that small errors can have big consequences when you're supporting a national retail network.

You're comfortable with numbers and data

You enjoy working with Excel, reviewing information and finding the story behind the numbers. You don't need to know everything about buying or category management yet, but you do need to be willing to learn.

You're a great team player

You communicate well, share information and understand that getting a great result is more important than getting the credit. You're comfortable working with different personalities, departments and suppliers.

You take ownership

If you say you'll do something, you follow it through. You manage your priorities, ask questions when you need help and don't wait to be reminded about every deadline.

You're curious and willing to give things a go

You don't need to arrive knowing everything. We value people who ask questions, welcome feedback, try new things and aren't afraid to step outside their comfort zone.

And if you can spot a better way of doing something, we want to hear about it.

What you’ll bring

The essentials

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, reporting and working with data.
• Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Confident written and verbal communication skills.
• A practical approach to problem-solving and following tasks through to completion.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• A willingness to assist in stores and warehouse operations when required.
• A genuine interest in retail, buying, merchandising or category management.

Experience we'd love, but isn't essential

• Previous experience in a pharmacy or community pharmacy environment — highly regarded.
• Experience supporting a Buying, Merchandise, Category Management or retail administration team.
• Exposure to supplier administration, catalogue coordination, product reporting or planograms.
• An understanding of retail sales performance, gross profit or stock management.

You don't need to tick every box.

If you've got strong organisational skills, a good head for numbers, a great attitude and the motivation to learn, we'd love to hear from you.

Why join Direct Chemist Outlet?

DCO is one of Australia's fastest-growing pharmacy groups, with approximately 160 pharmacies nationally and ambitious plans for continued growth.

We're an entrepreneurial business where people are encouraged to contribute ideas, take responsibility and make a genuine difference.

You'll be joining a team that works closely with suppliers, stores and different parts of the business, giving you exposure to much more than traditional administration.

You'll have the opportunity to learn how a national retail buying operation works, build your commercial knowledge and develop your skills as the business grows.

We believe good ideas can come from anywhere, and you don't need a fancy job title to make an impact.

You'll probably love this role if...

• You get genuine satisfaction from a spreadsheet that's accurate, organised and actually makes sense.
• You're the person who notices the little details everyone else misses.
• You enjoy finding out why a product sells well rather than just looking at the sales number.
• You’d rather solve a problem than spend three days emailing about it.
• You love retail and find yourself noticing product displays, promotions and shelf layouts when you're shopping.
• You enjoy learning new things and don't mind getting your hands dirty occasionally.
• You like being part of a team where everyone pitches in.
• You regularly find yourself thinking, "Surely there's a better way to do this?"

Sound like you?

We'd love to hear from you.

If you're looking for an opportunity to develop your skills, learn the commercial side of retail and be part of a growing Australian pharmacy group.