Director, Pharmacy Contract Strategy & Negotiations

Optum; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Office in Dublin/Letterkenny

Job summary

Optum in Ireland is seeking a Director in our pharmacy contracting team to lead strategic initiatives, analyze historical agreements, and renegotiate contracts with payors to ensure affordable access.

The role requires deep understanding of pharmacy economics, reimbursement structures and market dynamics; you will collaborate with finance, legal and operations, and guide a high-performing team in a hybrid work model with Dublin or Letterkenny offices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Extensive experience in pharmacy or healthcare contracting.
• Strong financial modelling and pricing interpretation.
• Experience engaging with senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Experience leading teams with direct reporting responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Contract Analysis: assess financial, non-financial and operational impact of contract changes.
• Contract Strategy: evaluate contracts against reimbursement structures and controls.
• Negotiation: lead payor negotiations to align terms with goals.
• Market Intelligence: monitor reimbursement trends and regulatory changes.
• Financial Modeling: use pricing models to evaluate proposals and impact.
• Stakeholder Engagement: collaborate with finance, legal, and operations and payors.
• Performance Monitoring: oversee contract performance metrics and actions.
• Team Leadership: mentor a high-performing contract team.

Skills

Pharmacy contracting

Financial acumen

Senior stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Presentation and communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience

Job description

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

As a Director within our pharmacy contracting team, you will lead strategic initiatives to analyze historical pharmacy agreements and renegotiate new contracts with internal and external payors. Your work will ensure competitive pricing, compliance, and sustainable partnerships that drive affordability and access for patients. This role requires a deep understanding of pharmacy economics, reimbursement structures, and market dynamics.

Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the Republic of Ireland will have the opportunity to split their monthly work hours between our Dublin or Letterkenny office and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model.

Primary Responsibilities

• Contract Analysis: Demonstrate understanding of complex contract language in order to assess financial, non-financial and operational impact and legal implications of requested payor and/or pharmacy contract changes
• Contract Strategy: Evaluates contracts in compliance with reimbursement structures and other key process control
• Negotiation: Lead negotiations with payors to secure terms that align with organizational goals and/or regulatory requirements
• Market Intelligence: Monitor competitor landscape, reimbursement trends, and regulatory changes to inform contracting strategies
• Financial Modeling: Utilize advanced financial and pricing models to evaluate contract proposals and predict impact on cost and pharmacy/ network performance
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with internal teams (finance, legal, operations) and external payors to ensure alignment on objectives and execution
• Performance Monitoring: Oversee pharmacy performance metrics (against contract) and implement corrective actions where necessary
• Team Leadership: Provide guidance and mentorship to a high-performing team responsible for contract execution and relationship management

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

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
• Proven extensive experience in pharmacy or healthcare contracting, with demonstrated success leading complex negotiations
• Demonstrated solid financial acumen, including the ability to interpret and apply pricing models
• Proven experience engaging with senior leadership and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated solid presentation and communication skills
• Proven experience leading teams with direct reporting responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience within Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) or pharmaceutical contracting environments
• Demonstrated familiarity with large-scale agreements and multi-billion-dollar negotiations
• Proven extensive experience developing pricing strategies and utilizing financial modeling to support rate-setting decisions
• Proven ability to interpret financial information and communicate complex financial details to diverse stakeholders

Please note you must currently be eligible to work and remain indefinitely without any restrictions in the country to which you are making an application. Proof will be required to support your application.

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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: Optum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, race, and membership of the Traveller community, or any other characteristic protected by law. Optum is a drug-free workplace.

© 2026 Optum Services (Ireland) Limited. All rights reserved.

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