[Hiring] Director, Patient Support Center @Shields Health Solutions

Role Description

The Director of Patient Support Center will lead the Prior Authorization and Financial Assistance team.

Shields Health Solutions is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and hands-on leader to oversee a key portion of our Specialty Pharmacy Patient Support Center (PSC) operations. This role is ideal for an experienced leader with a strong healthcare or pharmacy operations background, proven leadership in managing large teams and high-volume operations, and a track record of driving operational excellence in a fast-growing environment.

Success in this role requires strong familiarity with the prior authorization process, navigating financial assistance programs, operational workflows in pharmacy settings, and clinical insight into key disease states commonly managed in specialty pharmacy.

As the Director of the Patient Support Center, you will lead a team that supports prior authorization and patient financial assistance workflows through a large national team of certified pharmacy technicians. This role is responsible for driving both the quality and productivity of work across team members, with direct oversight of key operational metrics including turnaround times, approval accuracy, and volume management across multiple workflow tracking systems and hospital EMRs. Equal emphasis is placed on ensuring work is executed consistently, compliantly, and to established quality standards, reinforcing accountability and operational excellence across the team.

Designed for leaders who excel in fast‑paced, patient‑centered environments, this position requires strong cross‑functional collaboration and agility. Flexibility is essential, as leaders may be called upon to support either PSC or EC operations in alignment with evolving organizational priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required.
• Advanced degrees (e.g., MBA, MHA, or equivalent) preferred but not required.
• PharmD or BS in Pharmacy is a plus but not required (state certification not necessary).
• 7+ years of leadership experience in healthcare operations and/or pharmacy operations, with a track record of driving efficiency and performance.
• 5+ years of experience leading large-scale operations teams (50+ team members) highly preferred.
• Proven experience collaborating with healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and clinical staff, in hospital and/or provider settings (highly preferred).
• Expertise in process development, process mapping, and process improvement.
• Experience in specialty pharmacy operations is highly preferred.

Requirements

• Ability to lead teams through operational challenges and unexpected disruptions.
• Strong operational acumen with the ability to evaluate trends and assess key performance metrics.
• Experience in managing and coaching teams to meet and exceed quantitative metrics.
• Strong listening, teaching, and communication skills.
• Highly discreet and trustworthy, handling sensitive health information with confidentiality.

Benefits

• Provide strategic leadership to a large team of Patient Support Advocates and/or Patient Engagement Specialists.
• Invest in the growth and career development of employees.
• Oversee large-scale healthcare operations, implementing best practices.
• Play a key role in scaling operations within a rapidly expanding organization.
• Directly contribute to improving the patient experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations related to Specialty Pharmacy prior authorization and patient financial assistant operations.
• Develop and implement scalable operational strategies that enhance service delivery.
• Lead and facilitate strategic discussions with regional and senior leadership teams.
• Monitor and manage budgets, ensuring operational performance targets are met.
• Drive continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Leverage technology solutions to drive efficiency and scalability.
• Provide visibility and career advancement opportunities through leadership training.
• Build, inspire, and develop a high performing, engaged team.
• Create individualized development plans for team members.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with Regional Vice Presidents and their teams.
• Ensure consistent adoption of best practices across all PSC operations.
• Create and track key performance indicators (KPIs) using data analytics.
• Lead projects and sponsor initiatives that leverage technology and automation.
• Travel as necessary to support business operations and health system partner needs (estimated 20%-25%).