How to hire a director of pharmacist

How to hire a director of pharmacist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of pharmacist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of pharmacist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of pharmacist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of pharmacist do?

Post a director of pharmacist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the director of pharmacist you need to hire. Certain director of pharmacist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of pharmacist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of pharmacist from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of pharmacist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Pharmacist	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Pharmacist	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$25-68
   Systems Manager	A systems manager is responsible for monitoring the operations of the information technology department, evaluating staff performance, developing strategic procedures to maximize productivity, and identifying business opportunities that would generate more revenues and profitability for the company. Systems managers inspect company networks to ensure the efficiency of the technology systems, conducting regular diagnostic tests, and installing upgrades to boost optimization... Show more	$36-73
   Data Manager	A data manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructures. Data managers ensure the safety and security of the databases to avoid unauthorized access that may pose risks for business operations... Show more	$35-76

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Hospital Pharmacy
   • Oversight
   • Health System
   • Customer Service
   • State Board
   • Patient Safety
   • Pharmaceutical Care
   • Pharmacy Operations
   • Federal Laws
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • PBM
   • Medication Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Store and secure third party and Medicaid prescriptions and manage adjudication reviews.
   • Provide clinical pharmacy and outcomes methodology support to state Medicaid programs, PBMS and manage care organizations.
   • Manage average-sized independent pharmacy and provide marketing and professional support to staff leading to quality growth in RX & dollar volume.
   • Establish a pharmacy automate dispensing system (PYXIS) in the facility which are previously utilizing a manual cart filling system.
   • bed rehabilitation center and skil nursing facility.
   • Review and update pharmacy policies and procedures to satisfy JCAHO requirements.

   More director of pharmacist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of pharmacist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A director of pharmacist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, directors of pharmacist' average salary in alaska is 72% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of pharmacist earn 62% less than senior-level directors of pharmacist.
   • Certifications. A director of pharmacist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a director of pharmacist's salary.

   Average director of pharmacist salary

   $88,811yearly

   $42.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of pharmacist salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average director of pharmacist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$98,210	$47
   2	Louisiana	$84,408	$41
   3	Texas	$84,084	$40
   4	New Mexico	$81,664	$39
   5	Colorado	$80,548	$39
   6	North Carolina	$80,320	$39
   7	Georgia	$80,206	$39
   8	Arizona	$75,801	$36
   9	Washington	$74,689	$36
   10	Florida	$74,540	$36
   11	Nevada	$74,125	$36
   12	Alabama	$74,124	$36
   13	Oregon	$73,563	$35
   14	Oklahoma	$70,805	$34
   15	Missouri	$70,764	$34
   16	Virginia	$68,806	$33
   17	District of Columbia	$68,581	$33
   18	Kansas	$67,719	$33
   19	Massachusetts	$55,929	$27
   20	Illinois	$55,709	$27

   Average director of pharmacist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	North Sunflower Medical Center	$129,898	$62.45
   2	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$126,859	$60.99
   3	Consonus Healthcare	$124,435	$59.82
   4	North Metro Medical Center	$123,044	$59.16
   5	The Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital	$121,584	$58.45	14
   6	Cytokinetics	$120,912	$58.13
   7	UC Health	$120,602	$57.98	26
   8	Merck	$120,339	$57.86	3
   9	University of Michigan	$120,112	$57.75	10
   10	Health Alliance	$119,824	$57.61	17
   11	UNC Health Care	$118,933	$57.18	48
   12	The Medical Center Inc	$118,374	$56.91
   13	Banner Health	$117,942	$56.70	10
   14	LCMC Health	$117,771	$56.62	5
   15	IU Health Inc	$117,416	$56.45	2
   16	Brattleboro Memorial Hospital	$117,363	$56.42
   17	SEARHC	$117,018	$56.26	4
   18	Novant Health	$116,986	$56.24	24
   19	Northwell Health	$116,923	$56.21	54
   20	UPMC	$116,141	$55.84	58

4. Writing a director of pharmacist job description

   A good director of pharmacist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a director of pharmacist job description:

   Director of pharmacist job description example

   Who We Are
   
   VPL is a leader in delivering supply chain technology and solutions to the healthcare market. With years of experience, the continuous development of leading-edge technology and proactive account management, we are transforming their supply chain making it smarter, easier and better. Recognized as one of America's fastest growing companies, we are poised to develop even more innovative technology solutions providing transparency and savings across the ever-expanding continuum of patient care. If you're looking for insight, innovation and transformation, consider joining the team that's always ahead of the curve, VPL.
   
   What We're Looking For
   VPL is seeking a strong Director of Enterprise Alliances who has specific partnership experience with hospital/health system specialty pharmacies.
   We are looking for someone in this role to support the industry's tremendous demand of our pharmacy and supply chain solutions. In this role, you'll seek out, grow and nurture VPL's strategic, enterprise level alliance partnerships in order to open doors for our sales team to bring our software products to health systems and specialty pharmacies. This is a highly visible and important role within VPL and will be relied upon to provide industry expertise and bolster VPL's revenue, as well as presence in the pharmacy market.
   What You'll DoOwn all efforts associated with seeking out and establishing new strategic, enterprise level alliance partnerships for pharmacy Maintain mutually beneficial relationships with alliance partners that result in VPL sales pipeline and net revenue growth Be accountable for results - achieve and exceed goals around alliance partnerships and pipeline growth Present VPL pharmacy solutions to prospective and existing alliance partners Become an expert on VPL's products and the pharmacy industry Attend various industry events, conferences, etc.Partner with Marketing on the go-to-market strategy and help optimize messaging Establish credibility and positive relationships with external and internal stakeholders
   What You'll BringSpecialty pharmacy and enterprise alliances experience Strong knowledge of the specialty pharmacy workflow, systems and processes Connections in the industry with potential alliance partners, etc.Desire and ability to build out role / comfortable operating in a “new frontier”Hungry to make an impact and accountable for performance Build trusted, mutually beneficial relationships with alliance partners
   VPL is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.
   
   Interested candidates only, no recruiters please.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find directors of pharmacist for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any directors of pharmacist they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level directors of pharmacist with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of pharmacist job on Zippia to find and recruit director of pharmacist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with director of pharmacist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of pharmacist

   Once you've selected the best director of pharmacist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new director of pharmacist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a director of pharmacist?