Director of Field Operations and Quality Assurance (Inspector)

Responsible for leading and participating in SCPP’s Field Operations and Quality Assurance program. This is a working senior leadership position that provides operational oversight to the Unit while maintaining an assigned portfolio of pharmacies and carrying out inspection, compliance, permit review, and follow-up activities. The position supports compliance by pharmacies and pharmacy professionals and evaluates whether inspection and quality assurance activities are achieving intended regulatory, practice quality, and patient safety outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership/Supervision:

• Manage recruitment, onboarding, training, work planning, supervision, coaching, performance management, and staffing schedules for the Field Operations and Quality Assurance Unit.
• Provide operational leadership to the Unit, including inspection priorities, workflows, documentation expectations, follow-up processes, and responses to staff inquiries.
• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of legislation, bylaws, standards of practice, inspection criteria, policies, and compliance expectations by staff within the Unit.
• Participate in organizational planning and operationalize assigned strategic and operational priorities.
• Develop and manage the Unit’s operational budget.
• Prepare reports for Council, the Annual Report, and other internal or external reporting requirements.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of inspection, compliance, and quality assurance activities using findings, trends, corrective actions, outcomes, and performance indicators.
• Recommend changes to inspection priorities, methodologies, tools, and quality assurance initiatives based on risk, emerging trends, compliance outcomes, and regulatory objectives.

Field Operations:

• Maintain an assigned inspection territory and caseload, including routine inspections, compliance assessments, permit reviews, and follow-up activities.
• Review pre-inspection self-assessments, narcotic loss reports, and other information to determine whether corrective action or follow-up is required.
• Conduct pre-opening, renovation, relocation, and other required inspections and provide the information needed to support permit decisions.
• Respond to inquiries from staff, members, pharmacy managers, and proprietors related to pharmacy practice, inspection, compliance, and permit matters.
• Support compliance monitoring and follow-up related to pharmacy permits and the professional practice of pharmacy professionals within the Unit’s authority.
• Review inspection findings and field intelligence to identify emerging risks, recurring compliance issues, and opportunities for education, guidance, or process improvement.

COMPASS:

• Coordinate the COMPASS Committee and support planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Continuous Quality Improvement program.
• Collaborate with provincial, national, and patient safety partners to develop, review, and enhance COMPASS tools, training, communications, and quality improvement resources.
• Determine and coordinate communications to community pharmacies regarding COMPASS requirements, tools, and expectations.
• Prepare reports for Council and leadership using activity updates, statistical data, trend analysis, and evidence of measurable practice improvement, adherence to standards, and patient and medication safety outcomes.

Concerns or Complaints:

• Correspond with pharmacy managers regarding concerns or complaints related to assigned community pharmacies.
• Follow up on decisions, orders, alternative dispute resolutions, and required corrective actions within the scope of field operations and inspection authority.
• Conduct inspections required by issued decisions, orders, or alternative dispute resolutions.
• Support the review and resolution of practice-related concerns by gathering relevant information, identifying compliance issues, directing corrective or educational interventions, and making internal referrals where formal complaint, investigation, policy, registration, or legal review may be required.
• Review plans, signage, and documents associated with applications for pharmacy openings, renovations, relocations, “lock and leaves,” and trade name changes within assigned territory.
• Provide support and guidance to pharmacy managers upon temporary or permanent pharmacy closures, as required.
• Create or contribute to communications, newsletter content, forms, resource materials, and tools related to field operations, inspection, compliance, and quality assurance.
• Consult with the Policy and Legislation Unit as appropriate to support policy, standards, and practice resource development.
• Maintain current knowledge of trends and issues related to patient safety, medication safety, pharmacy practice, inspection, compliance, and quality assurance.
• Advise the Registrar or Deputy Registrar, as appropriate, of practice, inspection, compliance, or quality assurance issues.

Operational Leadership and Accountability:

• Provides clear direction, coaching, accountability, and support to staff while promoting consistency, professionalism, and respectful collaboration.
• Plans and balances competing priorities, meets timelines, and takes responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work.

Professional and Ethical Standards:

• Conducts themselves in a professional and ethical manner and observes privacy and confidentiality requirements.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Communicates clearly and professionally in writing, verbally, and through presentations.
• Builds effective working relationships through collaboration, consultation, and consideration of organizational, member, and stakeholder impact.

Regulatory Judgment and Risk Assessment:

• Applies sound regulatory judgment when assessing inspection findings, compliance risks, and appropriate response or escalation pathways.

Program Evaluation and Continuous Improvement:

• Uses inspection findings, trend data, quality assurance information, and compliance indicators to evaluate program effectiveness and improve regulatory outcomes.

Administrative Capacity:

• Uses office, database, word processing, spreadsheet, and communication systems accurately and effectively to support documentation, reporting, and program administration.

Position Requirements

• Post-Secondary Degree in Pharmacy or Diploma/Certificate from a Canadian Council of Accredited Pharmacy Technician Program;
• Registered and Licensed with SCPP and in good standing;
• Experience leading regulatory, inspection, compliance, quality assurance, or continuous improvement programs or initiatives;
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in community pharmacy practice;
• Minimum 3 years in a supervisory role, including coaching, work planning, and performance evaluation; and
• Familiar with pharmacy related legislation, regulations and standards and their interpretation and Application.

Application Deadline: August 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST

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