Description
Howden is seeking an Assistant Vice President (AVP), Pharmacy who will serve as a strategic pharmacy consultant supporting employer clients in the design, evaluation, and optimization of pharmacy benefit programs.
The ideal candidate will bring expertise from a PBM, health plan, pharmacy analytics, or pharmacy consulting environment and possess a strong understanding of the evolving pharmacy landscape, including specialty drugs, GLP-1 therapies, PBM pricing models, rebate strategies, financial guarantees, and emerging cost-containment solutions.
Key responsibilities:
- Serve as a trusted advisor to employer clients on pharmacy benefit strategy, plan design, and cost management opportunities.
- Lead and support PBM market checks, renewals, procurement projects, and formal RFP processes.
- Oversee day-to-day operations of the Pharmacy Analytics practice for Howden’s middle market teams, including workflow planning, prioritization, resource allocation, and delivery oversight.
- Manage intake, scoping, and work assignment for PBM RFPs, rebate reconciliations, market checks, contract reviews, and other financial analyses.
- Analyze PBM financial proposals, pricing guarantees, rebate arrangements, dispensing fees, and contractual terms.
- Develop, maintain, and oversee claim-level and aggregate financial models used to evaluate PBM proposals, validate pricing guarantees and rebate arrangements, assess pharmacy program performance, and quantify vendor savings opportunities.
- Establish modeling standards, documented assumptions, quality-control procedures, and peer-review processes to promote accuracy, consistency, transparency, and auditability across pharmacy analytics deliverables.
- Interpret PBM claims, eligibility, formulary, rebate, specialty, and financial data; identify data-quality issues; and translate analytical findings into clear client recommendations and executive-level deliverables.
- Provide strategic guidance on specialty pharmacy, biosimilars, GLP-1 medications, cell and gene therapies, and emerging market trends.
- Review and negotiate pharmacy contract provisions and performance guarantees.
- Prepare and present client deliverables, executive summaries, and recommendations to employer leadership teams.
- Support finalist presentations, vendor evaluations, and implementation activities.
- Collaborate with account teams, producers, and subject matter experts to identify growth opportunities and deliver exceptional client service.
- Build and maintain relationships with PBMs, specialty pharmacies, clinical vendors, and other strategic partners.
Qualifications:
- 7+ years of experience in pharmacy consulting, PBM account management, PBM underwriting, pricing, trade relations, clinical strategy, or related pharmacy benefit roles.
- Demonstrated knowledge of PBM contracting, rebate programs, pharmacy pricing methodologies, and specialty drug management.
- Advanced pharmacy financial modeling and analytical skills, including experience building and reviewing claim-level models, evaluating PBM pricing proposals, validating contract guarantees, and working with large pharmacy claims data sets.
- Exemplary knowledge of pharmacy analytics capabilities, methodologies, coverages, and services, including their application to PBM procurement, market checks, rebate reconciliations, contract reviews, and ongoing financial performance monitoring.
- Thorough understanding of PBM data layouts, claims and eligibility files, contract structures, financial terms, pricing guarantees, rebate arrangements, and core pharmacy data concepts.
- Demonstrated ability to oversee analytical workflow, prioritize competing requests, assign work effectively, review outputs, and communicate modeling assumptions, limitations, and results to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to translate complex pharmacy concepts into actionable recommendations for clients and internal stakeholders.
- Excellent presentation, communication, and relationship management skills.
- Experience managing multiple projects and client deliverables in a fast-paced environment.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint; experience with pharmacy analytics and reporting tools is preferred.
- Ability to travel periodically for client meetings, conferences, and business development opportunities.
The expected base salary range for this role is $150,000- $190,000; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location.
Benefits include:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Flexible Paid Time Off and paid parental leave
- Life and Disability insurance