Deputy Chief Pharmacist – Medicines Optimisation: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and ambitious pharmacy leader to join our senior Pharmacy Leadership Team as Deputy Chief Pharmacist for Medicines Optimisation.

This is a high-profile Trust-wide leadership role with responsibility for medicines optimisation, medicines governance, medicines safety, medicines cost-improvement schemes and assurance across a large and complex organisation. Working closely with the Chief Pharmacist, Associate Chief Pharmacist and senior clinical leaders, you will help shape the strategic direction of medicines use across the Trust whilst ensuring the highest standards of quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance and professional practice.

You will lead a broad portfolio encompassing medicines safety, controlled drugs, medicines governance, procurement, homecare services, unlicensed medicines, Patient Group Directions, medical gases and medicines-related policies. You will provide expert professional leadership on complex medicines legislation and governance matters and play a key role in supporting the delivery of organisational priorities through effective medicines optimisation and assurance.

This role offers an outstanding opportunity to influence strategy and decision-making at Trust, system and regional level whilst contributing to major transformation programmes, digital developments and service improvements across one of the largest hospital pharmacy services in the region.

Main duties of the job

As a key member of the Pharmacy Leadership Team, the Deputy Chief Pharmacist for Medicines Optimisation will provide strategic and operational leadership across medicines governance, medicines optimisation and pharmacy assurance functions.

The successful candidate will:

• Provide leadership for medicines governance, medicines safety, medicines cost-improvement schemes and assurance activities across the Trust.
• – Lead and develop the Trust’s approach to medicines optimisation, ensuring alignment with national policy, legislation and best practice.
• – Act as a senior professional adviser on medicines legislation, medicines risk management and regulatory compliance.
• – Oversee key medicines governance portfolios including controlled drugs, homecare services, procurement, unlicensed medicines, Patient Group Directions and medical gases.
• – Chair and support key governance groups including pharmacy quality, medicines safety and medicines optimisation forums.
• – Lead quality improvement, assurance and service development programmes that improve patient outcomes and support organisational priorities.
• – Develop strong working relationships with senior clinicians, executives, corporate services and external partners to influence Trust-wide decision making.
• – Deputise for the Associate Chief Pharmacist and Chief Pharmacist as required.

Person Specification

Communication

Essential

• Ability to work on own and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Able to communicate well both one to one and to a group of people (public speaking), including communication of sensitive or contentious information that may be challenged
• Good negotiating skills.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Training, coaching and mentoring skills.
• Leadership
• Multidisciplinary team working
• Proven ability to motivate staff
• Evidence of team building and leadership skills

Desirable

• Teaching
• Research

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Registered with GPhC
• Post-graduate qualification relevant to hospital pharmacy practice

Desirable

• Leadership/ management qualification relevant to the NHS

Experience

Essential

• Wide ranging recent clinical pharmacy experience
• Recent experience of operational and strategic planning
• Experience of successfully supporting a clinical management group or equivalent
• Audit work and report writing.
• Significant senior experience within the hospital pharmacy environment.
• Significant and recent (within the last 5 years) in a leadership role within hospital pharmacy
• Project and Financial Management
• Human Resource Management
• Interpretation of data
• Strategic planning.
• Process redesign
• Experience of leading change management processes.
• Introduction of major change and evidence of setting up work studies and audits to support bids and service change
• Experience in data analysis and the development of options appraisals with a “value for money” approach

Desirable

• Significant recent experience as either a Deputy Chief Pharmacist or Principal Pharmacist
• Experience within both clinical and technical areas of pharmacy practice

Planning and Organization

Essential

• Effective prioritisation and time management
• Ability to forecast and innovate, including long term service planning

EDI

Essential

• Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.
• All staff are expected to engage in compassionate and inclusive leadership in the provision of high-quality care and interactions with others

Others

Essential

• A clear understanding of standards of probity and business conduct.
• Team management skills and experience.
• Adaptable and flexible.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with relevant senior clinicians, managers, key stakeholders.
• Organisational awareness.
• Able to asses & manipulate a broad range of complex information quickly & accurately including e.g., clinical, finance, activity, performance data.
• Able to make effective judgements based on limited information
• Able to engage staff both within, & outside of, pharmacy.
• Able to provide strategic leadership to senior clinical teams.
• Highly effective interpersonal & communication skills, both written & oral.

Closing Date: 30 October 2026