Senior Director of Pharmacy Programs

About the role

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD is looking for a Senior Director of Pharmacy Programs to provide enterprise-level strategic leadership, operational oversight, and performance accountability for The Harris Center’s Pharmacy Operations. This position ensures pharmacy services are safe, efficient, compliant, financially sustainable, patient-centered, and aligned with organizational priorities, clinical transformation goals, and executive leadership expectations.

Responsibilities

• Provides senior-level leadership for the pharmacy workforce, including organizational structure, talent development, succession planning, recruitment, retention, performance management, coaching, recognition, and corrective action.
• Directs pharmacy strategy and operations across medication management, pharmacy access, formulary stewardship, clinical pharmacy practice, pharmacy assistance programs, and cost-effective medication utilization.
• Leads and supports the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and related medication governance processes to ensure formulary decisions, clinical standards, utilization practices, and medication safety initiatives meet patient needs while maintaining fiscal accountability.
• Partners with medical leadership, quality, compliance, finance, operations, information technology, and executive leadership to advance pharmacy-related strategic initiatives, clinical transformation priorities, population health goals, and enterprise performance outcomes.
• Establishes, monitors, and continuously improves pharmacy quality assurance, medication safety, drug utilization evaluation, customer satisfaction, medication error tracking, corrective action planning, and performance improvement systems.
• Provides senior oversight of pharmacy technology needs, data reporting, automation opportunities, dashboard development, and system improvements that strengthen medication management, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and decision-making.
• Directs drug acquisition, inventory management, vendor relationships, purchasing strategies, contract review, RFP participation, group purchasing organization relationships, and supply chain processes to achieve quality, reliability, and cost effectiveness.
• Develops, manages, and monitors the pharmacy budget in alignment with agency priorities, financial constraints, compliance requirements, revenue opportunities, and sustainability of pharmacy services.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local pharmacy laws, Texas State Board of Pharmacy requirements, accreditation standards, payer requirements, organizational policies, and corrective action plans resulting from inspections, audits, or reviews.
• Represents Pharmacy Programs in senior leadership forums, Medical Director meetings, death review processes, quality and safety initiatives, executive updates, Board-related communications, employee recognition activities, and external partnerships as requested.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy required, PharmD preferred.
• Pharmacy degree from School of Pharmacy accredited by ACPE required.
• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Pharmacy Administration or related field preferred.
• Texas Pharmacy License in good standing.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible pharmacy leadership experience, including at least 5 years of management or director-level leadership within a hospital, community behavioral health, public sector, ambulatory, or retail pharmacy environment.
• Experience leading Pharmacy Assistance Programs, 340B-related initiatives, medication access strategies, or comparable programs that generate significant patient benefit, cost savings, or measurable organizational value.
• Experience leading or supporting Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees, formulary management, medication safety initiatives, drug utilization review, and interdisciplinary clinical governance processes.
• Experience with RFP processes, vendor negotiations, group purchasing organizations, drug wholesalers, contract review, supply chain strategy, pharmacy budgeting, and financial performance management.

Skills

• Communication at all levels within and outside the organization.
• Computer literacy to include Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access, with ability to perform complex data analysis and reporting.
• Ability to speak and write clearly, concentrate on several tasks simultaneously, and work with little to no supervision.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Robust retirement plan with generous company matching.
• Prior service credit, accelerating Paid Time Off accrual.
• Cell Phone Discounts, exclusive entertainment deals, and a free Headspace subscription for mental wellness.
• Employee Assistance Program supporting overall well-being.
• Student loan forgiveness programs.