Director - Pharmacy Operations

Job Description
Wellmark is a mutual insurance company focused on member well‑being. We are seeking a Director of Pharmacy to lead the pharmacy strategy and drive operational efficiencies across the organization.

About the role
As Director of Pharmacy, you will be a change leader who guides pharmacy vision, oversees teams researching member and provider inquiries, and ensures compliance and auditing. You will partner cross‑functionally to deliver product roadmaps, mentor staff, and promote proactive, data‑driven pharmacy strategies.

About you
You believe health care can be better and are passionate about shaping total cost of care. You are a self‑starter, analytical, innovative, and able to partner with internal and external stakeholders. You enjoy building something from scratch and are committed to mentoring a high‑performing team.

Location & Schedule
This role is hybrid: at least three days in the Des Moines office and two days remote, with additional office days as needed.

Internal title
Director Pharmacy

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent direct experience, or PharmD.

Active, unrestricted Pharmacy license in Iowa or South Dakota (or ability to obtain within 6 months).

Minimum 7 years of combined experience in pharmacy, product management, sales or related role with financial acumen.

Proven ability to build, implement, and drive product strategies achieving bottom‑line results.

Knowledge of health insurance products, benefit design, applicable rules, regulations, and guidelines.

Leadership experience building high‑performing teams and managing resources, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning.

Strong analytical skills with ability to distill large amounts of information into actionable insights.

Forward‑thinking, quick learner, change advocate, resilient under pressure.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to present insights to senior leadership.

Outstanding collaboration skills, influencing and securing buy‑in across business and technical leaders.

Proficiency in Microsoft Windows Office Suite (Word, Excel); quick to learn new systems.

Some travel required.

Preferred Qualifications

PharmD.

MBA or master’s degree in health outcomes, finance, or business‑related pharmacy practice.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with pharmacy benefit manager to meet program goals.

Drive collaboration, prioritization, and engagement across matrixed teams to deliver product roadmaps.

Lead pharmacy team members responsible for pricing, naming, packaging, and positioning Wellmark pharmacy products.

Provide direction for teams supporting market intelligence, marketing, sales, and client support.

Analyze and support business areas to identify practical improvement opportunities across product portfolio.

Lead day‑to‑day financial and HR functions: coaching, performance improvement, budgeting, and resource coordination.

Leverage insights and competitive intelligence to track solution performance and inform roadmap.

Serve as key liaison for the pharmacy program; build relationships with Sales, Product, Segment Planning, and other stakeholders.

Ensure compliance with commercial and government lines regulations; coordinate legal and regulatory communications.

Manage vendor relationships to align with pharmacy strategy.

Analyze pharmacy and medical benefit drug utilization data for program effectiveness and improvement opportunities.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional Information
This position requires a non‑compete agreement.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield recruits, hires, trains, and promotes individuals in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Accommodations
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation due to a disability at any stage of the employment application process should contact careers@wellmark.com.

Work Authorization
At this time, Wellmark is not considering applicants requiring immigration sponsorship.

AI Use
Wellmark supports responsible use of AI in the workforce. Applicants may share the tools they used in the application process.

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