Assistant Vice President - Pharmacy Analytics

Howden • Boston, MN

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About The Position

Howden is seeking an Assistant Vice President (AVP), Pharmacy to serve as a strategic pharmacy consultant to employer clients, advising on pharmacy benefit program design, evaluation, and optimization. The role leads pharmacy benefit management (PBM) procurement initiatives, financial and contract analyses, market assessments, vendor evaluations, and client-facing consulting engagements. It also oversees day-to-day operations of the Pharmacy Analytics practice supporting Howden’s middle market teams.

The successful candidate will bring expertise from a PBM, health plan, pharmacy analytics, or pharmacy consulting environment and 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. The role requires periodically traveling for client meetings, conferences, and business development opportunities.

The position is permanent and classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The expected base salary range is $150,000–$190,000, with actual salary depending on factors including experience and work location. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus and, subject to eligibility, a range of benefits and programs.

Requirements

• At least 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 building and reviewing claim-level models, evaluating PBM pricing proposals, validating contract guarantees, and working with large pharmacy claims data sets.
• Strong knowledge of pharmacy analytics capabilities, methodologies, coverages, and services and 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.
• Ability to oversee analytical workflow, prioritize competing requests, assign work, 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.
• Ability to travel periodically for client meetings, conferences, and business development opportunities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with pharmacy analytics and reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Advise 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 middle market teams, including workflow planning, prioritization, resource allocation, and delivery oversight.
• Manage intake, scoping, and work assignments 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 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 support accurate, consistent, transparent, and auditable deliverables.
• Interpret PBM claims, eligibility, formulary, rebate, specialty, and financial data; identify data-quality issues; and present findings as 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 client service.
• Build and maintain relationships with PBMs, specialty pharmacies, clinical vendors, and other strategic partners.
• Travel periodically for client meetings, conferences, and business development opportunities.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Flexible Paid Time Off.
• Paid parental leave.
• Life and Disability insurance.
• Eligibility for a discretionary bonus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed