Vice President, Pharmacy Networks

Socket.dev; United States; On-site; USD 238,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental & Vision

401(k) retirement plan

Disability coverage

Paid time off

Parental leave

Commuter benefits

Employee assistance program

Wellness program

Job summary

SmithRx seeks a senior leader to own the national pharmacy network strategy, contracting, and end-to-end management. You will negotiate with major retail chains and PSAOs while ensuring cost efficiency and quality coverage for clients and members.

You will oversee credentialing, compliance, and performance optimization, guiding a cross-functional team in a rapidly growing Health-Tech company committed to transforming PBM operations.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in pharmacy network management, pharmacy contracting, or PBM operations.
• Experience across Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, Exchange lines of business.
• Deep understanding of PBM ecosystem, reimbursement models (AWP, NADAC), and pass-through PBMs vs traditional PBMs.
• Proven track record of negotiating multi-million dollar contracts with major chains and PSAOs.
• Leadership experience building, mentoring, and scaling cross-functional, remote teams.
• Strong financial/analytical skills to translate pricing into network strategy.
• Bachelor’s degree required; PharmD/MBA/MHA highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead network strategy for national and custom networks aligned with our transparent pricing model.
• Direct high-level contract negotiations with major retailers, PSAOs, and mail-order partners.
• Develop innovative network programs to lower drug costs and improve access.
• Oversee network performance, SLAs, and pricing accuracy across the network.
• Direct credentialing, compliance, and audit activities to reduce FWA and ensure CMS readiness.
• Collaborate with Sales, Customer Success, Pricing, Product and Analytics teams.
• Mentor and scale a high-performing network team across locations.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Analytics

Strategy

Pharmacy networks

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Healthcare

MBA/MHA preferred

Job description

Who We Are:

SmithRx is a rapidly growing, venture-backed Health-Tech company. Our mission is to disrupt the expensive and inefficient Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) sector by building a next-generation drug acquisition platform driven by cutting edge technology, innovative cost saving tools, and best-in-class customer service. With hundreds of thousands of members onboarded since 2016, SmithRx has a solution that is resonating with clients all across the country.

We pride ourselves for our mission-driven and collaborative culture that inspires our employees to do their best work. We believe that the U.S healthcare system is in need of transformation, and we come to work each day dedicated to making that change a reality. At our core, we are guided by our company values:

• Integrity: Our purpose guides our actions and gives us confidence in the path ahead. With unwavering honesty and dependability, we embrace the pressure of challenging the old and exemplify ethical leadership to create the new.
• Courage: We face continuous challenges with grit and resilience. We embrace the discomfort of the unknown by balancing autonomy with empathy, and ownership with vulnerability. We boldly challenge the status quo to keep moving forward—always.
• Together: The success of SmithRx reflects the strength of our partnerships and the commitment of our team. Our shared values bind us together and make us one. When one falls, we all fall; when one rises, we all rise.

Job Summary:

The Vice President of Pharmacy Networks is a critical executive leadership role responsible for the strategic vision, contracting, and end-to-end management of SmithRx’s national pharmacy network. You will lead negotiations and foster relationships with retail chains, independent pharmacies, Pharmacy Services Administration Organizations (PSAOs), specialty pharmacies, and mail-order facilities.

In this role, you will ensure our network aligns with our transparent, pass-through pricing model while maintaining exceptional coverage, quality, and cost-efficiency for our clients and members. You will oversee a team dedicated to network development, compliance, credentialing, and performance optimization.

What you will do:

Network Strategy & Contracting

• Lead Network Strategy: Design and execute the overarching strategy for SmithRx’s national and custom pharmacy networks, ensuring alignment with our transparent business model and client needs.
• Contract Negotiation: Lead high-level negotiations with major retail chains, PSAOs, specialty pharmacies, and mail-order partners to secure competitive reimbursement rates and favorable contract terms without relying on spread pricing.
• Strategic Partnerships: Identify and develop innovative network programs (e.g., high-performance or narrow networks, direct-to-consumer delivery models) to drive down drug costs and improve member access.

Network Management & Operations

• Oversee Network Performance: Monitor and manage the ongoing performance of the pharmacy network against defined SLAs, ensuring adherence to contractual terms, quality standards, and pricing accuracy.
• Credentialing & Compliance: Direct the credentialing and re-credentialing processes, ensuring all network pharmacies comply with federal, state, and SmithRx regulatory standards.
• Audit & Fraud Prevention: Oversee the pharmacy audit team to manage network integrity, minimize Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA), and execute audit recoveries effectively.
• Government programs readiness: Implementation of needed policies and procedures to meet CMS oversight requirements.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• • Internal Alignment: Partner closely with Sales, Customer Success, Clinical Strategy, Pricing/Underwriting, and Product teams to ensure network capabilities are accurately represented in the market and successfully integrated into our technology platforms.
  • Data & Analytics: Collaborate with data and analytics teams to monitor network profitability, utilization trends, and cost models to proactively identify areas for financial optimization.
  • Team Development: Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing team of network managers, contracting specialists, and analysts. Foster a culture of accountability, integrity, and courage

What you will bring to SmithRx:

• Experience: 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in pharmacy network management, pharmacy contracting, or PBM operations.
• Experience across lines of business: Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, Exchange
• Industry Expertise: Deep understanding of the PBM ecosystem, pharmacy reimbursement models (AWP, MAC, NADAC), and the operational differences between traditional and pass-through/transparent PBMs.
• Negotiation Skills: Proven track record of successfully negotiating complex, multi-million dollar contracts with major national pharmacy chains and PSAOs.
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience building, leading, and mentoring cross-functional and remote teams in a high-growth environment.
• Analytical Acumen: Strong financial and analytical skills with the ability to understand complex pricing models and translate data into actionable network strategies.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Finance, or a related field; PharmD or Master’s degree (MBA/MHA) is highly preferred.

What SmithRx Offers You:

• Highly competitive wellness benefits including Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance and AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Spending Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Program
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Discretionary Paid Time Off
• Paid Company Holidays
• Wellness Benefits
• Commuter Benefits
• Paid Parental Leave benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Well-stocked kitchen in office locations
• Professional development and training opportunities

Zone A includes the following locations:

• San Francisco Bay Area - California
• Metro New York City - Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania

Zone A Pay Range

$238,000 — $280,000 USD

Zone B includes the following locations:

• California - outside of San Francisco Bay Area
• Metro Denver / Boulder - Colorado
• Metro District of Columbia - District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia
• Metro Boston / Cambridge - Massachusetts and New Hampshire
• Metro Austin - Texas
• Metro Seattle - Washington

Zone B Pay Range

$238,000 — $280,000 USD

Zone C includes all other locations not listed above, including:

• Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming
• Non metro Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia

Zone C Pay Range

$238,000 — $280,000 USD

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: The range listed above reflects our standard pay scale and actual pay will vary based on work location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
• Total Rewards: In addition to base pay, this role may be eligible for bonuses, commissions, or equity. SmithRx offers a variety of benefits to help you live well, including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance and 401(k).

Individual offers are tailored to your geography, experience, skills, and education. Your recruiter can share more specific details during the hiring process. In the meantime, feel free to explore our comprehensive benefits here.