POSITION DESCRIPTION

Economist

Group / Pharmacy Viability
Team / Economic Analysis and Data
Role Classification / Specialist
Supervisor/s / National Manager
Status of Position / Full time

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia represents the proprietors of around 5,500 community pharmacies. They form a unique network of trusted healthcare professionals across Australia.

Our Values

Integration of our five core values into our employment practices and frameworks allows the Guild to recognise and respect individual staff members for their personal contributions to their roles, their colleagues, the Guild and ultimately to the community pharmacy sector.

Our five values are:

Respect / Integrity / Compassion & Community / Equity & Fairness / Reliability

Through our focus on our core values and the related behaviours that align to them, we strive to provide a flexible, supportive and rewarding work environment for all staff allowing the potential for professional and personal growth.

Pharmacy Viability

The Pharmacy Viability Group’s key purpose is summed up as driving viability - for the network of community pharmacies in Australia and for Guild members. It is driving successful, community-focused healthcare businesses. It is changing the focus of pharmacies into dynamic, valued health destinations.

The Group’s key functions are to:

  • Develop and enhance business models, programs and services provided to consumers through community pharmacy;
  • Support the negotiation and implementation of the Community Pharmacy Agreements, and other issues associated with community pharmacy viability;
  • Support the implementation of pharmacy business models, programs and services, including those funded as part of the Community Pharmacy Agreement;
  • Develop and coordinate policy initiatives that directly support members;
  • Monitor, review and respond to medicines regulatory matters and relevant professional pharmacy practice matters by representing the interests of community pharmacy, and provide advice and support to the Guild in these areas; and
  • Identify, establish and maintain positive strategic and influential relationships with key stakeholders.

The underlying principle for the Group is to be evidence based in all its work.

Economic Analysis and Data Team

The purpose of the Economic Analysis and Data Team isto provide economic modelling and advice, business intelligence services and data analytics contributing to member value.

This includes data analytics underpinning economic/financial modelling and advice; analysis of community pharmacy business models, community pharmacy remuneration structures, wholesaler remuneration and supply chain sustainability; and utilising the Guild’s data warehouse.

The team brings together cross functional capability to ensure the objects of the Guild’s Corporate Plan are supported by robust analytics. This includes the provision of products and services to support member needs as well as the industry as a whole.

Role Responsibilities ofEconomist

This position provideseconomics analytical support to the Guild through conducting microeconomic analysis of pharmacy industry issues; the creation and maintenance of microeconometric forecasting models; statistical analysis of big data; and communicating the economic and financial implications of the analysis.

Key role responsibilities and duties will include the following:

  • Economic modelling of pharmacy industry remuneration and trends (specifically Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescription volumes and prices)
  • Assisting in the build of a large economic model of the pharmacy industry, including linkages to other parts of the supply chain
  • Applied microeconomic analysis of topical pharmacy industry issues, including industrial organisation related developments
  • Produce economic forecasting models through the use of econometric techniques.
  • Facilitate the use of a broad range of data relating to community pharmacy, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the health care system, including analysis and manipulation of existing data sets, the cleaning of data and sourcing new data sets as required.
  • Derive empirical results by collating, summarizing and analysing data from varied sources including combining data from different sources in various formats.
  • Summarise findings of analysis work into written reports communicating results quantitatively, qualitatively and graphically.
  • Assist in the delivery of specific Guild products, including surveys.

Organisational Relationships

  • Reports to National Manager, Economic Analysis and Data
  • Works with other members of the Economic Analysis and Data team as well as more broadly across policy and other areas of the Guild, especially on business intelligence tasks.
  • Contributes to managing external relationships with the Department of Health, Department of Financeand broader pharmacy industry stakeholders.

Role Specific Capabilities

The following work experience and knowledge is required:

  • Demonstrated professional experience working as an economist, preferably in an applied micro-economist role
  • Advanced economic and financial modelling skills
  • Advanced econometric skills and experience, particularly with respect to time series analysis and forecasting
  • Analysis of large and unstructured data sets to solve problems
  • Previous experience working with technical, analytical and statistical software such as R, Eviews, SAS
  • Knowledge of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (desirable)
  • Delivering projects to specification within deadlines
  • Communicating between technical and non-technical areas

This position requires skills about the following areas:

  • High level economic analytical skills, including econometrics
  • Written and verbal communication skills
  • Proficiency in using software such as R, Eviews, SAS, Matlab,
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; ability to work with large complex workbooks, use advanced nested and statistical functions and a general high comfort level with Excel
  • An eye for detail in cleaning and updating accurate data for analysis
  • A high level of proficiency in presenting results in graphical and written reports
  • Skills related to querying SQL databases (desirable)
  • Experience with and skills in the use of business intelligence software such as Power BI is highly desirable

This position requires competencies in the following areas:

  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Team player
  • Accountability and initiative
  • Results driven
  • Ethical behaviour
  • Resilience
  • Organised

Authorities List

This position has the following authority approval:

  • As per standard operating procedures

Qualifications

The following qualifications are essential for this position:

  • Degree qualifications in economics are a prerequisite, preferably post-graduate qualifications.

Records Management

The Guild is committed to best practice recordkeeping through systems that support the creation, maintenance and protection of accurate and reliable records. All practices concerning recordkeeping within the Guild are to be in accordance with the Guild Records Management policy and its supporting procedures.

Each employee is responsible for creating and maintaining accurate and reliable records to meet legal requirements, provide evidence of prior business decisions and support current and future business activity.

Work Safety

The Guild strives to provide a safe and healthy work environment for all employees, clients, contractors and visitors. Its aim is to eliminate any hazard that could constitute personal injury or illness and it will do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure safe work practices are adopted and adhered to.

Each employee is asked to take reasonable care to protect their own health and safety at work and also the health and safety of others in the workplace. Employees must also report all accidents, incidents and hazards to their supervisor as soon as is practicable.

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