Operations Manager

Job Summary:

The Operations Manager — Pharmacy Returns Processing owns the end-to-end workflow that moves returned pharmaceutical product from customer intake through sorting, credit processing, manufacturer returns, and final disposition. This role is accountable for the accuracy, speed, and regulatory integrity of every unit that passes through the processing floor.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Operations Manager leads a multi-shift team of supervisors and processing technicians, manages throughput against service-level commitments, and serves as the operational owner for controlled substance handling, documentation, and chain-of-custody within the department. Success in this role is measured by processing accuracy, credit turnaround time, audit readiness, and team retention.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Returns Processing Operations

- Direct daily intake, sorting, verification, and disposition of returned pharmaceutical product across all shifts, ensuring work is completed within established service-level agreements.

- Manage the credit processing workflow end to end, from product receipt through submission to manufacturers and wholesalers, driving customer credit turnaround toward the 14-day standard.

- Coordinate the return of product to manufacturers and authorized returns processors, and schedule destruction of non-returnable product in line with company procedure.

- Monitor queue volume, aging, and backlog daily; reallocate staffing and adjust priorities to prevent bottlenecks and missed commitments.

- Maintain accurate inventory control and reconciliation for all product held in the department, investigating and resolving discrepancies promptly.

Compliance & Quality

- Ensure all processing activity complies with applicable federal and state regulations governing controlled substances, pharmaceutical distribution, and hazardous waste, as well as company standard operating procedures.

- Own departmental documentation and recordkeeping, including receipt records, inventories, transfer and destruction records, and chain-of-custody documentation.

- Enforce security controls over controlled substances, including restricted access, dual-employee verification where required, and timely reporting of discrepancies, losses, or thefts.

- Serve as the operational point of contact for internal audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections; prepare records and respond to findings with documented corrective action.

- Partner with the Quality and Compliance functions to investigate deviations, complete root-cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions.

- Team Leadership

- Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and processing technicians; set clear performance expectations and conduct regular one-on-ones and formal reviews.

- Own staffing for the department — forecasting labor needs, participating in hiring, and managing schedules, overtime, and temporary labor against budget.

- Design and maintain onboarding and ongoing training programs covering processing procedures, controlled substance handling, safety, and quality standards; maintain complete training records.

- Build a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement, and act decisively on performance and conduct issues.

- Performance & Continuous Improvement

- Define, track, and report departmental metrics including throughput per labor hour, processing accuracy, credit cycle time, error and rework rates, and safety incidents.

- Analyze process and system data to identify constraints, then design and implement workflow, layout, and procedural improvements.

- Partner with IT and systems teams on enhancements to processing and inventory platforms, including testing and change management.

- Prepare and present operational performance summaries to leadership, with clear explanation of variances and corrective plans.

- Cross-Functional Partnership

- Coordinate with Transportation and Warehouse teams on inbound receipt scheduling and outbound manufacturer shipments.

- Support Sales and Account Management on customer questions, site visits, and reporting requests related to returns processing.

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

- Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, logistics, operations management, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education and progressive operations experience.

- Five or more years of operations experience, including at least two years directly supervising or managing a team in a distribution, warehouse, laboratory, manufacturing, or pharmacy environment.

- Demonstrated experience working in a regulated environment with documented procedures, recordkeeping requirements, and external audits or inspections.

- Proven ability to manage to measurable performance standards — productivity, accuracy, cycle time, and cost.

- Strong working knowledge of inventory management systems and Microsoft Excel, with the ability to build and interpret operational reports.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to write clear procedures and communicate effectively with frontline staff, executives, customers, and auditors.

- High level of personal integrity and sound judgment; must be able to pass a background check and drug screen, and meet all requirements for handling controlled substances.