The posting
Who are we?
Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
What is the role?
We are seeking an Assistant Vice President (AVP), Pharmacy who will serve as a strategic pharmacy consultant supporting employer clients in the design, evaluation, and optimization of pharmacy benefit programs. This role will lead pharmacy benefit management (PBM) procurement initiatives, financial and contract analyses, market assessments, vendor evaluations, and client-facing consulting engagements, while overseeing day-to-day operations of the Pharmacy Analytics practice supporting Howden’s middle market teams. The ideal candidate will bring expertise from a PBM, health plan, pharmacy analytics, or pharmacy consulting environment and possess 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.
What will you be doing?
- Serve as a trusted advisor to 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 Howden’s middle market teams, including workflow planning, prioritization, resource allocation, and delivery oversight.
- Manage intake, scoping, and work assignment 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 used 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 promote accuracy, consistency, transparency, and auditability across pharmacy analytics deliverables.
- Interpret PBM claims, eligibility, formulary, rebate, specialty, and financial data; identify data-quality issues; and translate analytical findings into clear 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 exceptional client service.
- Build and maintain relationships with PBMs, specialty pharmacies, clinical vendors, and other strategic partners.
What are we looking for?
Qualifications
- 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 experience building and reviewing claim-level models, evaluating PBM pricing proposals, validating contract guarantees, and working with large pharmacy claims data sets.
- Exemplary knowledge of pharmacy analytics capabilities, methodologies, coverages, and services, including 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.
- Demonstrated ability to oversee analytical workflow, prioritize competing requests, assign work effectively, 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; experience with pharmacy analytics and reporting tools is preferred.
- Ability to travel periodically for client meetings, conferences, and business development opportunities.
Compensation and Benefits
The expected base salary range for this role is $150,000- $190,000; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location. This role is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
In addition to a competitive base salary, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. Howden also offers a variety of benefits and programs, subject to eligibility, including:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Flexible Paid Time Off and paid parental leave
- Life and Disability insurance
Our sustainability promise
We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.
What do we offer in return?
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
- Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
- We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
- We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
Reasonable adjustments
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
