Senior Economist

Who we are ?

The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) brings together provincial, territorial, and federal governments for the purpose of increasing and managing access to clinically relevant and cost-effective medicines.

Through collective negotiations, the pCPA has realized overall savings ( as of April 1, 20 25) for governments of $3.94 billion annually for brand name drugs and $935 million annually for generic drugs totaling $4.87 billion annually.

The pCPA offers a 100% remote (within Canada) work environment .

The senior economist provides expertise and leadership to support the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) decision-making for the planning, coordination, and management of brand negotiations and generic drug assessments using health economic evaluations and other financial analyses to obtain the best possible value for federal, provincial and territorial public drug programs.

Reporting to the manager, Analytics, this role leads projects to support evidence-informed pCPA negotiations and participates in committees involving a range of stakeholders to plan, coordinate and implement negotiation strategies and processes.

The senior economist has responsibilities for one or more of the following core analytic activities within the Analytics division:

• Analytical support and leadership on pCPA Negotiations
• Broad pharmaceutical market analyses, encompassing brand, generic, and evolving pharmaceutical markets (such as biosimilars and cell and gene therapies)
• Economic and financial analyses to evaluate drug-related policies and/or organization performance

Senior economists are expected to operate independently to address high-complexity issues and to provide technical leadership for Economists and Analysts in the Analytics division.

Specific deliverables

• Collaborating with the pCPA negotiation team and federal/provincial/territorial partners, develops negotiation strategies, sets mandates and reassess offers/counteroffers in order to achieve value-based negotiation outcomes between the public drug programs and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
• Independently conducts comprehensive analyses (e.g., financial systems, utilization, environmental scans) in which relevant research findings are synthesized and reported to support evidence-informed decision-making on pCPA negotiations.
• Identifies and analyzes internal and external issues such as regulatory issues and contract dependencies that may affect negotiations and, if needed, consider legal implications in order to provide bespoke advice pertaining to pCPA negotiations.
• Conducts targeted re-analysis of cost utility, cost minimization and budget impact analyses, including incorporating confidential pharmaceutical prices and/or alternative assumptions made by manufacturers and/or health technology assessment agencies in order to evaluate its plausibility and impact.
• Critically appraises complex confidential manufacturer price proposals, including contract elements linked to patient and/or utilization and, as required, consider indication-specific elements to quantify its financial impact on individual jurisdictions and nationally across Canada.
• Evaluates the pCPA’s and manufacturer’s strategies for outcome-based offers, including consideration of appropriate valuation, complexity of administration, and pan-Canadian health system impacts.
• Leads and/or supports quantitative research relating to the pharmaceutical ecosystem, including but not limited to, the evaluation of the savings resulting from the pCPA agreements, timeline analysis on drug’s life cycle (i.e., market access and market exclusivity), calculation of rebates when incorporating different contractual elements, and the financial impacts of pharmaceuticals reimbursement policy changes.
• Leads or co-leads all aspects of a negotiations with drug manufacturers on behalf of the pCPA, including: developing mandates, setting objectives, and securing outcomes that align with the pCPA’s direction and overall strategy.
• Develops and continues to refine processes and structures to ensure consistency across pCPA negotiations and supports the development of provincial/territorial negotiation standards to align with best practices.
• Demonstrates effective project leadership including project scoping, identification of project parameters, including resource assessments; project implementation including ensuring project remains on track; brainstorms possible options to implement the most effective solutions to resolve problems proactively; and preparation of deliverables (e,g., report, implementation plans, communication materials).
• Leads the preparation of training and resource materials.

General deliverables

• Collects, organizes and interprets data for members of the Analytics team, the pCPA staff, or jurisdictional pCPA contacts.
• Leads and/or participates in the development and evaluation of reports and analyses that are related to the pCPA or the pharmaceutical ecosystem.
• Coordinates, prepares, and writes responses, policy papers, slide presentations, memos, correspondence, briefing notes, and reports for management/executives on a variety of drug-related matters. This may include presenting policy options and recommendations to senior drug program management, inter-jurisdictional working groups and committees to support evidence-informed decision making.
• Completes critical consultations and liaisons with federal, provincial and territorial public drug programs and other jurisdictions and experts (e.g., medical, legal and financial specialists) regarding drug funding agreements.
• Supports Analysts in preparing internal and public-facing metrics, including key performance and risk indicators and targeted metrics assessing the volume, timeliness, and effectiveness of brand negotiations and generic drug assessments.
• Leads and/or participates in the development, revision and/or appraisal of negotiation policies, programs and initiatives.
• Fosters and maintains relationships with the federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions and other external groups to develop and implement a coordinated response to a wide range of topics.
• Represents the pCPA and participate in working groups and/or committee and acts as a liaison to external partners and relevant advisory agencies.
• Supports the development of business plans.
• Stays informed of industry trends.

• Accountable to the manager, Analytics.

• Bachelor’s degree in health economics, finance, business administration, or a clinical or scientific discipline (including, but not limited to, pharmacy, pharmacology, or medical sciences), or related field.
• 3 to 5 years of work experience in health economic evaluation (cost-utility analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis) and budget impact analysis including leading the interpretation and appraisal of economic evaluations and budget impact analyses, and modifying such analyses to incorporate alternative parameters or assumptions.
• At least 3 years of experience conducting comprehensive quantitative analyses (e.g., financial, utilization, environmental scans) to support decision-making.
• At least 3 years of experience working with data to support analytical, research, or policy-related work.
• Experience preparing reports, briefing notes, or presentations to communicate findings.
• Experience in either pharmaceutical sciences, health services research, government, or regulatory environments is required.
• Experience mentoring or coaching employees is an asset.
• Experience overseeing working groups and project team is an asset.
• Experience supporting negotiation strategies through economic and financial expertise is an asset.

• As English is the primary working language at the pCPA, exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English are required including demonstrated proficiency in delivering presentations to both technical and generalist audiences.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills in French (asset).
• In-depth understanding of the Canadian pharmaceutical industry and government processes.
• Demonstrated proficiency in delivering presentations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Exceptional ability to engage, respond to needs and building working relationships with all partners, fostering an effective and dynamic organizational culture.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and independent decision-making based on thorough understanding of established procedures and considerations of relevant contextual factors.
• Ability to lead and build consensus in the absence of authority.
• Strong business and digital acumen.

Employment terms

• The salary range for this full-time permanent position, classification level A7 , is $ 97,747 – $137,711. This range reflects the salary for candidates with varying experience levels, job knowledge, and qualifications relevant to the position. Specific offers will be based on individual backgrounds and qualifications.
• This position is part of the Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) bargaining unit and is governed by the terms and conditions outlined in the collective agreement.
• The work hours for this position is 36.25 hours per week.
• The pCPA provides employees with a comprehensive group benefits package from the first day of employment.
• The ideal candidate must be legally eligible to work in Canada and can work from any location within Canada.
• This position requires frequent travel in different provinces and territories, including periodic multi-day, overnight trips.

If you are interested in this position, please submit your application by the end of September 17, 2026.

We thank all those who apply; however, only those chosen for further consideration will be contacted.

The pCPA is an equal-opportunity employer.

In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019, and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, the pCPA will provide accommodation for applicants with disabilities upon request throughout the recruitment, selection, and/or assessment process.