Associate Director - Supplier Services

The Associate Director, Supplier Services provides strategic leadership and is accountable for the delivery of IQVIA’s Hospital Pharmacy Audits (HPA) strategy and the long‑term sustainability of secondary care data supply. The role has end‑to‑end accountability for supplier engagement, contractual governance and data continuity, operating as a senior subject‑matter expert and escalation point across complex commercial, regulatory and operational matters. Working in close collaboration with internal stakeholders, the role anticipates and responds to changes in the external healthcare and technology landscape to protect data resilience and enable long‑term business objectives.

The role provides strategic and operational leadership across secondary care data sourcing, supplier and NHS system relationships, and emerging data access models. Additionally, the successful candidate will be responsible for leading the transition to future‑proof, system‑level data access aligned to NHS digital transformation, information governance expectations and commercialisation models. The Associate Director will manage a small specialist team, act as a senior escalation point for complex data, contractual and governance issues, and play a visible external role as a trusted partner to NHS organisations. The role will also contribute to innovation by identifying, shaping and securing new primary and secondary care data sources and supporting cross‑functional projects that rely on IQVIA data.

Key Accountabilities

• Own and deliver the UK & Ireland HPA strategy, ensuring alignment with wider Market Intelligence, data innovation and growth priorities.
• Anticipate and respond to changes in how secondary care data is accessed, governed and shared, including system‑level data models, integrated care structures and NHS digital policy direction.
• Act as a senior internal advisor on secondary care data strategy, risks and opportunities.
• Build and maintain senior relationships across NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), system commissioners, Chief Information Officers, data controllers and transformation leaders.
• Navigate complex NHS organisational structures and stakeholder politics to secure ongoing data access and collaboration.
• Engage with system partners, platform providers (e.g. EPR and pharmacy systems) and third‑party intermediaries where relevant.
• Provide senior accountability for hospital pharmacy data supplier relationships, contracts and governance arrangements.
• Work closely with Legal, Compliance, Information Governance and Commercial teams to ensure compliant, ethical and transparent data use.
• Ensure supplier and NHS engagements meet internal governance standards and external regulatory expectations.
• Be accountable for the continuity, quality and resilience of hospital pharmacy and secondary care data feeds.
• Identify, assess and mitigate risks related to data loss, access restrictions, system changes or NHS policy shifts.
• Sponsor and support improvements to data acquisition processes, automation and integration to reduce operational risk.
• Lead or support the identification and acquisition of new secondary care and hospital‑adjacent data sources, including indication‑level or pathway‑based data.
• Shape propositions that provide value back to NHS organisations (e.g. feedback services, insights or benchmarking) to strengthen long‑term partnerships.
• Contribute to cross‑functional projects requiring hospital data, including RWE, analytics, digital and growth initiatives.
• Provide leadership, coaching and development for a small specialist team by setting clear objectives, promoting collaboration and maintaining high standards of professionalism and service.
• Act as a visible representative of IQVIA in the hospital pharmacy and NHS data space including presenting at industry conferences, forums and client meetings.
• Contribute to internal strategic discussions and senior governance forums with clear, evidence‑based insight.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential

• Professional background as a pharmacist, pharmacy technician or senior NHS professional (e.g. commissioning, transformation or informatics), providing strong credibility with hospital and system stakeholders.
• Substantial experience working within or alongside the NHS, particularly across secondary care, hospital pharmacy, commissioning, or system‑level transformation.
• Strong working knowledge of NHS data governance, including data controller responsibilities, information‑sharing frameworks, and regulatory expectations.
• Proven ability to operate credibly and confidently with senior NHS stakeholders, including board‑level, system and executive leaders.
• Demonstrated strategic planning, problem‑solving and programme or project management capability in complex environments.
• Significant experience managing complex, multi‑stakeholder relationships and navigating organisational and system‑level dynamics.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to interpret external change and translate it into clear internal direction, identifying and driving innovative opportunities in collaboration with industry experts and specialists.
• Highly numerate, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to articulate complex data, technical, commercial or governance concepts clearly and persuasively.
• Fluency in English to a high professional business standard.

Desirable

• Prior healthcare consulting experience advantageous.
• Experience of NHS procurement, commissioning processes or large‑scale pathway or service redesign.
• Exposure to digital transformation initiatives, data integration programmes or health IT environments.
• Commercial experience within healthcare, life sciences or data‑driven organisations.