Job Description

The Role:

The Service Area Director of Pharmacy is a professionally competent, legally qualified pharmacist with extensive knowledge and experience in pharmacy practice and management. Reporting to the Regional Executive Pharmacy Director, this role supports comprehensive strategic planning, oversight, design, operation, and continuous improvement of pharmacy services across the assigned service area.

The Service Area Director manages overall pharmacy operations in collaboration with ministry senior managers, lateral colleagues, and broader regional leadership. This leader contributes to the development, implementation, and execution of system and regional strategies, utilization management (UM), operational initiatives, and other enterprise priorities, while holding accountability for results.

The role is responsible for advancing medication management systems, ensuring regulatory compliance, driving quality outcomes through performance improvement, leading drug utilization efforts, optimizing information systems and technology, managing pharmaceutical supply chains and financial operations, overseeing policies and procedures, and supporting managers and caregivers in achieving performance and engagement goals. The Service Area Director also plays a critical role in supporting ministry leaders across their service area.

What You'll Do:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Support execution of pharmacy strategies, tactics, and initiatives across operational, clinical, and product-level services within the assigned service area.
• Partner with regional and ministry leadership to set annual pharmacy performance goals, objectives, budgets, programs, and technology and resource plans.
• Participate in system, regional, and ministry committees, councils, and workgroups to advance organizational priorities.

Operational Excellence & Clinical Programs

• Lead and oversee pharmacy operations across the service area, ensuring excellence in medication safety, quality, clinical programs, and patient outcomes.
• Improve and maintain effective medication-use processes through collaboration with providers, nursing administration, quality management, and operational partners.
• Optimize the use of pharmacy information systems and technology to enhance safety, efficiency, and service delivery.
• Where applicable, perform ministry pharmacy leader duties, including serving as Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC).

Regulatory Compliance & Quality

• Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws, regulations, accreditation standards, and system expectations governing pharmaceutical services.
• Lead performance-improvement initiatives and drug utilization efforts to achieve quality and safety outcomes.
• Maintain current knowledge of regulatory and accreditation standards, including 340B program requirements (where applicable).

Financial Stewardship & Supply Chain

• Provide accountability for financial sustainability, budgeting, and pharmaceutical supply chain management across the service area.
• Partner with ministry leaders to ensure responsible fiscal management and alignment with regional and system goals.

People Leadership & Culture

• Lead and support pharmacy leaders, managers, and caregivers across service area ministries with emphasis on clear communication, accountability, leadership effectiveness, and engagement.
• Promote a safe, mission-aligned environment of care that upholds Providence St. Joseph Health's Mission and Core Values.
• Support change management initiatives through transparent communication and performance-focused leadership.

Collaboration & Relationships

• Maintain strong relationships with key departments and stakeholders to ensure continuity and collaboration of services across the service area.
• Support ministry leaders and pharmacy teams in achieving performance goals and meeting human resource needs.

What You'll Bring:

Education & Licensure

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited College of Pharmacy.
• PharmD or equivalent education/experience (preferred).
• Master's Degree (MPH, MBA) or equivalent education/experience (preferred).
• Washington Pharmacist License (required upon hire; vendor managed).

Leadership & Experience

• 5+ years of pharmacy experience in an applicable practice area.
• 3+ years of management experience.

Professional & Leadership Capabilities

• Personal values and ethics consistent with Providence St. Joseph Health.
• Strong understanding of pharmacy operations and healthcare delivery systems.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement contemporary clinical and operational pharmacy services.
• Strong communication, team-building, problem-solving, decision-making, innovation, and change-management skills.
• Current knowledge of regulatory, accreditation, and compliance requirements.
• Thorough understanding of 340B program requirements where applicable.

Why Join Us?

• Lead pharmacy services at scale: Influence medication management and pharmacy operations across a service area.
• Advance quality and safety: Drive performance improvement, compliance, and optimized medication use.
• Partner with clinical leaders: Collaborate closely with providers, nursing, and ministry leadership.
• Develop strong teams: Support and grow pharmacy leaders and caregivers.
• Serve a mission that matters: Advance compassionate, high-quality care through pharmacy leadership.

Ready to Shape the Future of Healthcare?

If you are a collaborative, mission-driven pharmacy leader ready to advance clinical excellence, operational performance, and medication safety across a service area, we encourage you to explore this opportunity.

The full pay range is listed in accordance with applicable law. Final compensation will be determined based on qualifications, experience, organizational compensation alignment, and the approved hiring department budget for the position. This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation and benefits.

At Providence we believe in the importance of human connection and the impact of in-person collaboration towards team cohesion and caregiver engagement. Further, we want our leaders to live in or near the communities we serve. Therefore, leaders applying for this role will be required to work a hybrid schedule, which consists of three days onsite, two days remote and live within a reasonable commuting distance to the ministry or service area they support and lead.

About the Team

Providence has been serving the Pacific Northwest since 1856 when Mother Joseph and four other Sisters of Providence arrived in Vancouver, Washington Territory. Today, Providence is the largest health care provider in Washington located in communities large and small across the state. In western Washington, Providence provides care throughout the greater Puget Sound from Snohomish County to Lewis County.

Our award-winning and comprehensive medical centers are known for outstanding programs in cancer, cardiology, neurosciences, orthopedics, women's services, emergency and trauma care, pediatrics and neonatal intensive care. Our not-for-profit network also provides a full spectrum of care with leading-edge diagnostics and treatment, outpatient health centers, physician groups and clinics, numerous outreach programs, and hospice and home care.