MCQ Examination Development Lead – Pharmacist Qualifying Examination

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Employment Type: Full-time, one-year contract

Work Arrangement: Hybrid -2 to 3 days in the office.

Hiring Salary Range: $105,000–$116,000 annually. (This is the hiring range for the position and does not represent the full salary range. Employees may progress beyond the hiring range over time based on performance and in accordance with PEBC’s compensation policies.)

About PEBC

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) is the national certification body for the pharmacy profession in Canada.

Our examination processes support safe and qualified pharmacy practice across Canada and depend on accuracy, security, fairness, and professional integrity.

Why Work with PEBC?

At PEBC, your work contributes to the assessment and certification of pharmacy professionals across Canada.

You will join a collaborative, knowledgeable team dedicated to maintaining high standards in professional assessment and examination development.

We offer an environment where accuracy, integrity, collaboration, and accountability are valued. Our team supports knowledge-sharing, continuous improvement, and professional development while taking pride in work that makes a meaningful contribution to the pharmacy profession.

Position Overview

PEBC is seeking an experienced pharmacy professional to join our team as an MCQ Examination Development Lead, with a primary focus on the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination.

This position plays a critical role in developing, reviewing, and maintaining multiple-choice examination content, ensuring that examination questions and forms remain current, accurate, and aligned with approved examination blueprints, professional standards, and PEBC’s quality requirements.

The successful candidate will coordinate examiner panels, oversee examination content development, support English and French examination form construction, and contribute to quality assurance initiatives that protect the validity, reliability, and fairness of PEBC’s examinations.

This is a one-year contract position, initially intended to provide coverage for the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination. Depending on evolving organizational needs, the successful candidate may be reassigned during the contract to another comparable role, project, or area of responsibility at an equivalent level.

Key Responsibilities

Examination Content Development

• Oversee the development, review, and revision of multiple-choice examination questions in accordance with approved blueprints and professional standards.
• Verify the clinical accuracy and professional validity of examination content, including references and supporting rationales.
• Monitor changes in pharmacy legislation, clinical practice, and professional standards to ensure examination content remains current.
• Identify examination questions requiring revision, further review, or removal.
• Explore technologies and improvements that support examination content development.

Panel of Examiners Coordination

• Coordinate and facilitate virtual and in-person meetings with panels of pharmacy subject matter experts.
• Prepare examination materials and guide panel discussions to achieve established content development objectives.
• Provide training and guidance to examiners on question development and interpretation of statistical information.
• Incorporate panel feedback into revised examination content.

Examination Form Development and Quality Assurance

• Assemble English and French examination forms using approved blueprints and established item bank requirements.
• Coordinate French translation and review processes to maintain conceptual and professional consistency.
• Collaborate with translators, testing providers, and internal stakeholders to ensure examination content integrity.
• Maintain and monitor examination question banks, including classification, accuracy, and currency.
• Review examination question performance statistics in collaboration with psychometric staff.
• Identify questions requiring additional evaluation or corrective action.

Examination Integrity and Continuous Improvement

• Collaborate with internal teams to investigate examination content concerns and support appropriate resolution.
• Provide input on candidate remediation matters related to examination content.
• Contribute to examination blueprint revisions, standard-setting activities, and assessment improvement initiatives.
• Support the alignment of examination content with Canadian pharmacy education and entry-to-practice expectations.
• Review and update examination-related website content, sample questions, and learning resources.

Qualifications and Experience

Required Qualifications

• A professional degree in Pharmacy.
• Registration as a pharmacy professional in good standing with a Canadian provincial regulatory authority.
• A minimum of five years of professional pharmacy practice experience in Canada, preferably across multiple practice settings.
• A minimum of five years of experience in educational assessment, competency evaluation, professional certification, or related activities.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or assessing students, interns, or early-career pharmacy professionals.
• Strong written communication, editing, and examination content development skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with subject matter experts and multidisciplinary teams.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with document-sharing platforms such as SharePoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in examination question development, examination blueprinting, or professional competency assessment.
• Experience facilitating professional committees, working groups, or examiner panels.
• Familiarity with psychometric principles and examination quality assurance processes.
• French-language proficiency.
• Continued part-time pharmacy practice in Ontario.

Key Competencies

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong professional judgment, integrity, and accountability.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to examination accuracy.
• The ability to manage complex projects and competing priorities independently.
• Confidence facilitating discussions with experienced pharmacy professionals.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• A collaborative approach and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Discretion when handling confidential and sensitive examination information.

Working Conditions

• Work is primarily performed in an office-based environment, involving sustained computer use, document review, and detailed examination content analysis.
• The position falls under Category B of PEBC’s Remote Work Policy.
• Occasional extended working hours, including evenings or weekends, may be required to meet examination development deadlines.
• Strict confidentiality and secure handling of examination materials and candidate information are essential.

Recruitment Process

PEBC is committed to a transparent, fair, and consistent recruitment process.

Candidates may expect the following stages:

1. Application Review: Applications are reviewed against the qualifications and requirements of the position.
2. Initial Screening: Selected candidates will participate in an initial conversation to discuss their professional experience, qualifications, and interest in the opportunity.
3. Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview focused on relevant skills, professional experience, and their approach to the responsibilities of the role.
4. Skills Assessment: Candidates progressing to the final stages may be asked to complete a job-related assessment to demonstrate competencies relevant to the position.
5. Final Evaluation and References: Final candidates will undergo an overall evaluation and required reference checks before an employment offer is made.

PEBC does not use artificial intelligence (AI) in our recruitment process. Applications are reviewed and evaluated by individuals involved in the hiring process.

How to Apply

If you are an experienced pharmacy professional with a passion for assessment, examination development, and supporting professional standards, we encourage you to apply.

Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your relevant qualifications and experience through this LinkedIn job posting.

We thank all applicants for their interest in PEBC. Only candidates selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted.

Accessibility and Accommodations

PEBC is committed to providing an accessible, inclusive, and barrier-free recruitment process.

Accommodations are available upon request at any stage of the selection process, including interviews and skills assessments.

Applicants requiring accommodation are encouraged to advise us when contacted regarding the next stage of recruitment. PEBC will work with applicants to arrange appropriate accommodations while respecting their privacy and confidentiality.