Pharmacy Operations Senior Director

Newport News, Virginia

Hiring Range

$181,800.00 - $263,625.00/Annual
Actual pay is determined based on job-related factors such as relevant experience, education, credentials, skills, internal equity, and business needs.

Job Description

As our pharmacy services continue to expand in scope, complexity, and system-wide impact, we are thoughtfully strengthening and advancing our leadership structure to support this growth. This role reflects our commitment to operational excellence, clinical innovation, and strategic alignment across the organization - ensuring our teams have the guidance and resources needed to thrive. Through this intentional investment in leadership, we are positioning our pharmacy services for sustained success in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. ​

Overview
This role provides strategic operational leadership for pharmacy services across the health system. Leads operational excellence for all pharmacy locations through partnership with leaders in ambulatory, infusion, retail, specialty, long-term care, acute care, and business services to align priorities, standardize practices, and strengthen operational integration. The role drives enterprise performance through high-reliability pharmacy operational practices, automation and technology modernization, AI-enabled solutions, and business continuity planning across all divisions.
Oversees enterprise-wide professional development strategies and advances system-wide medication distribution and technology infrastructure to improve safety, quality, efficiency, and cost stewardship.

What you will do

• System-wide Operational Strategy & Alignment: Leads system-wide operational strategy for pharmacy services across all divisions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.

• Standardization & High-Reliability Operations: Drives consistent, high-reliability operations by partnering with leaders to implement standardized workflows, shared technologies, and best-practice models.

• Innovation, Technology, and Modernization: Leads enterprise advancement of pharmacy automation, operational technology, and AI-enabled solutions. Oversees evaluation, implementation, optimization, and life cycle management of dispensing, IV workflow, robotics, inventory systems, and related operational platforms

• Enterprise Inventory, Supply Chain, and Operational Efficiency: Optimizes purchasing, inventory management, waste reduction, and operational cost controls in partnership with pharmacy business services and site leaders. Supports drug shortage mitigation and operational components of contracting and supply-chain workflows.

• Emergency Preparedness & Business Continuity: Leads enterprise operational preparedness, continuity of operations planning, and emergency response coordination for pharmacy services. Ensures reliable medication distribution, staffing contingencies, technology readiness, and system resiliency across all pharmacy locations.

• Talent Management & Leadership Development: Lead high-performing leaders & teams through effective talent management, hiring, workforce planning, optimal staffing ratios, coaching, performance evaluation, accountability to goals, leadership development, and succession planning across assigned areas
  
   

• Divisional Leadership & Oversight: Provides comprehensive oversight of formally assigned divisions within pharmacy, including strategic priority setting, financial performance, annual budgeting, workforce management, patient experience, quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
  
   

• Professional Leadership, Best Practices, and National Engagement: Actively engage in national networks and benchmarking collaboratives to bring leading-edge practices to Riverside.
  
   

Qualifications

Education
 

• Bachelors Degree, or higher in Pharmacy (Required)

• Masters Degree, Business, Healthcare Administration or Public Health (Preferred)

Experience
 

• 5 years pharmacy experience within a health system or similar setting (Required)

• 5 years progressive leadership experience within a health system OR ASHP Health-System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership (HSPAL) residency experience PLUS 4 years of leadership experience (Required)

Skills and Abilities
 

• Ability to design and execute systemwide operational strategy across diverse pharmacy settings while aligning work with organizational priorities

• Skill in influencing and driving change across divisions without direct authority, using credibility, relationships, and structured governance

• Expertise in operational optimization, high-reliability practices, and application of process-improvement methodologies

• Strong understanding of pharmacy automation, robotics, operational technologies, and AI-enabled solutions, including implementation and optimization

• Ability to build trust and collaborate effectively across various teams

• Skill in interpreting operational, financial, and technology data to guide decisions, monitor performance, and prioritize improvement efforts

• Ability to lead complex organizational change, adapt to evolving needs, and guide teams through modernization and process redesign

• Capability to coach and develop leaders and operational staff through effective feedback, workforce planning, and succession development

• Working knowledge of operations-related regulatory and accreditation requirements to ensure safe and compliant medication-use systems.

• Ability to plan for and manage operational continuity, including staffing contingencies, technology disruptions, and supply shortages across all pharmacy settings

Licenses and Certifications
 

• Licensed Pharmacist - Virginia Department of Health Professions (VDHP) within 60 Days(Required)

• 340B University OnDemand - Apexus within 180 Days(Required)

• Advanced 340B Operations Certificate (Apexus) within 2 Years (Preferred)

To learn more about being a team member with Riverside Health System visit us at https://www.riversideonline.com/careers.