Pharmacy Operations Specialist III, Informatics Support

Kaiser Permanente; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiser Permanente is seeking an Automation/Production Technician to support a high-volume pharmacy automation system. You will troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic issues and collaborate with automation, operations, and IT teams to improve speed and uptime.

You will coordinate with Pharmaceutical Services, vendors, and end users, supporting testing of new releases and changes while ensuring smooth change management and adherence to safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience in a related field with pharmacy exposure.
• Two years of experience in pharmacy or related field, or five years if no degree.
• Pharmacy Technician License (Oregon) required at hire.

Responsibilities

• Support production operations and troubleshoot/mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic issues in a high-volume pharmacy automated system.
• Collaborate with automation, operations, and IT teams to improve processes and uptime.
• Coordinate with Pharmaceutical Services and vendors; participate in testing new releases and features.
• Assist with change management and ensure compliance with procedures and policies.
• Occasionally work weekends as needed to support operations.

Skills

Communication

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Teamwork

Attention to Detail

Cross-Group Collaboration

Decision Making

Learning Agility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Health Care Administration/Operations Research/Public Administration or related field

Pharmacy Technician License (Oregon)

Job description

Job Summary

Automation/production technician is part of the site automation team that supports production operations and troubleshoot/repairs mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic issues in a high-volume pharmacy automated system. Works with automation, operations, and IT teams to improve processes, increase production capacity, and maintain high level of system up-time. Ability to spot bottlenecks or delays quickly and adjust personnel or systems parameters to minimize downtime. Understanding basic Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), HMI adjustments, and sensors/RFID/photo eyes. Works with 3rd party vendors on improvements, repairs and maintenance, and projects. Ability to work weekends if necessary.

In addition to the responsibilities listed below, the position is also responsible for working closely and coordinating with the Pharmaceutical Services team regarding systems that directly or indirectly impact the prescribing or dispensing of medications; collaborating with others to test the systems and applications for new releases, new features, or defect fixes; maintaining relationships with internal and external teams, stakeholders, end users, and/or vendors to resolve system issues or concerns; interpreting broad guidelines to resolve, triage, or elevate service tickets, with limited direction; providing recommendations for system changes or improvements and representing the team during change management.

Essential Responsibilities

• Pursues effective relationships with others by proactively providing resources, information, advice, and expertise with coworkers and members. Listens to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides mentoring to team members. Pursues self-development; creates plans and takes action to capitalize on strengths and develop weaknesses; influences others through technical explanations and examples. Adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback; demonstrates flexibility in approaches to work; helps others adapt to new tasks and processes. Supports and responds to the needs of others to support a business outcome.
• Completes work assignments autonomously by applying up-to-date expertise in subject area to generate creative solutions; ensures all procedures and policies are followed; leverages an understanding of data and resources to support projects or initiatives. Collaborates cross-functionally to solve business problems; escalates issues or risks as appropriate; communicates progress and information. Supports, identifies, and monitors priorities, deadlines, and expectations. Identifies, speaks up, and implements ways to address improvement opportunities for team.
• Independently provides support to pharmacy and healthcare professionals by: leveraging systems related to analytics and informatics to support relevant patient-facing teams; collaborating with meetings and relevant committees to support front-line operations; and exercising a patient focus throughout one's technical expertise and activities and identifying patient related issues, challenges, possible improvements and taking action to ensure the downstream patient impacts are being followed up on.
• Supports various functions within operations and may support operations in a specific area by: collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to implement pharmacotherapy safety practices and initiatives; implementing pharmacy operations initiatives and programs that directly support the day to day functioning of a specified set of pharmacies or locations and coordinates with relevant groups on the rollout, staffing, education, etc. requirements; and supporting operational needs (e.g., workflow management, policy management, systems improvement, etc.) and ensuring policy compliance.
• Contributes to service, affordability, people, quality of care, and regulatory pharmacy goals by: coordinating efforts to create, design, and help implement strategic plan to support improvements to service, quality, people, affordability, and regulatory initiatives; evaluating data trends from tools and dashboards to support implementation of new programs and initiatives; reviewing and influencing others to conduct sweeps of new laws and rules from regulatory agencies and ensures application into operations (e.g., FAQs to markets); contributing to the building and socializing of new tools to promote awareness and use; evaluating accuracy of inputs into accountability dashboard to ensure rules are followed; and aligns own operations goals to key affordability metrics.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (Core)

• Ambiguity/Uncertainty Management
• Attention to Detail
• Business Knowledge
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Cross-Group Collaboration
• Decision Making
• Dependability
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Support
• Drives Results
• Facilitation Skills
• Health Care Industry
• Influencing Others
• Integrity
• Learning Agility
• Organizational Savvy
• Problem Solving
• Short- and Long-term Learning & Recall
• Teamwork
• Topic-Specific Communication

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (Functional)

• Data Integrity
• Debugging and Troubleshooting
• Trend Analysis
• Service Focus
• Workplace Safety Awareness

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Health Care Administration, Operations Research, Public Administration, or a related field AND minimum two (2) years of experience in pharmacy or a directly related field OR Minimum five (5) years of experience in pharmacy or a directly related field.
• Pharmacy Technician License (Oregon) required at hire

Preferred Qualifications

• Mechanical
• Problem Solving
• Analytical
• Data analysis
• Communication
• Two (2) years experience in pharmacy operations, pharmacy management, or related experience.
• Two (2) years of experience working in a large matrixed organization.