Pharmacist, Principal

Blue Shield of CA; Rancho Cordova (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Shield of California is seeking a Pharmacist, Principal to oversee specialty pharmacy networks, manage limited distribution drug access, and lead specialty program initiatives aimed at improving affordability, access, quality, and member experience.

The role requires an active California Pharmacist license, a PharmD, and at least four years of clinical pharmacy experience, with strong leadership and vendor-management skills. This hybrid role involves in-office collaboration two days weekly.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited US school.
• Active California RPh license.
• 4 years of clinical pharmacy experience.
• Experience in specialty pharmacy, managed care pharmacy, pharmacy benefit design, specialty networks, LDD programs, and biosimilar strategies.
• Experience evaluating pharmacy program value and performance drivers.
• Management experience in health plans or PBMs with knowledge of PBM products, formulary and network products, program strategies and competitive landscape.
• Vendor partnership, contract operations, negotiations, and performance management experience preferred.
• Strong business acumen with proven pharmacy strategy development and planning.
• Strong knowledge of specialty drug reimbursement, contracting, distribution models, analytics, and vendor management.
• Excellent communication skills with executive-level presentations.
• Demonstrated leadership, strategic planning, financial analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Detail-oriented with ability to work in fast-paced environment.
• Can-do attitude with solution-oriented approach to challenges.

Responsibilities

• Oversee specialty pharmacy networks and biosimilar strategies.
• Lead and implement cost of health care initiatives to improve affordability, access, quality, and member experience.

Skills

Clinical pharmacy

Specialty pharmacy

Leadership

Vendor management

Contract negotiations

Financial analysis

Presentation skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Strategic planning

Detail-oriented

Can-do attitude

Education

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

California RPh license

Job description

Your Role

The Cost of Health Care (COHC) & Specialty Drug Management Pharmacy team is responsible for managing the Specialty Drug strategies across the pharmacy and medical benefit and leading and implementing cost of health care initiatives. The Pharmacist, Principal will report to the Director, Pharmacy COHC & Specialty Drug Management. In this role you will be responsible for oversight of the specialty pharmacy networks, limited distribution drug access, specialty-at-retail initiatives, direct drug distribution partnerships, and specialty pharmacy programs to improve affordability, access, quality, and member experience.

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow - personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Requires a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited school of pharmacy in the U.S.
• Requires a current, active, and unrestricted California Registered Pharmacist (RPh) license
• Requires 4 years of experience in clinical pharmacy
• Experience in specialty pharmacy, managed care pharmacy, pharmacy benefit design, specialty networks, LDD programs, and biosimilar strategies
• Prior experience in evaluation of pharmacy program value and performance drivers
• Prior management experience in health plans or pharmacy benefit management companies, with deep knowledge of pharmacy benefit, formulary and network products, program strategies and competitive landscape
• Prior experience in vendor partnership, contract operations, negotiations, and performance management is preferred
• Possesses strong business acumen with proven experience in pharmacy strategy development and planning
• Strong knowledge of specialty drug reimbursement, contracting, distribution models, analytics, and vendor management
• Excellent communication skills with prior experience in presentations to internal and external executive level business stakeholders
• Demonstrated leadership, strategic planning, financial analysis, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Detail-oriented with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Exhibit "can do" attitude and solution-oriented approach to resolve challenges

Hybrid

This role requires employees to be in-office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week.

Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.