University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Job summary
This is an exciting time to join the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation team at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in the NHS. We are seeking an exceptional and experienced pharmacy leader to join our senior Pharmacy Leadership Team as Associate Chief Pharmacist. The role will support the strategic leadership of a large and diverse pharmacy service, delivering care across multiple hospital sites and serving a population of over one million people.
Working in partnership with the Chief Pharmacist, you will provide senior strategic and operational leadership across clinical, operational and specialist pharmacy services. You will play a key role in shaping and delivering the future direction of pharmacy and medicines optimisation, ensuring high-quality, patient-centred services that support the Trust’s ambitions for outstanding care, education, research and innovation.
This is a unique opportunity to influence service development at Trust, system and regional level, leading major transformation programmes and helping to shape the future workforce, digital agenda and models of pharmacy care within one of the largest hospital pharmacy services in the region.
Main duties of the job
The Associate Chief Pharmacist is a key member of the Pharmacy Leadership Team and will work closely with the Chief Pharmacist to provide strategic and operational leadership across all areas of Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation.
The successful candidate will:
- Provide visible leadership for a large multi-disciplinary pharmacy workforce and contribute to the overall strategic direction of the department.
- – Lead the development, implementation and delivery of pharmacy strategies, improvement programmes and transformation initiatives aligned to Trust and system priorities.
- – Support the safe, effective and cost-efficient delivery of clinical, operational and specialist pharmacy services.
- – Lead on service redesign, workforce development and innovation programmes that improve patient care and productivity.
- – Provide professional leadership on cost-improvement and expert advice to senior clinicians, executives and external stakeholders on pharmacy and medicines-related matters.
- – Represent the Trust at local, regional and national forums and deputise for the Chief Pharmacist as required.
- – Ensure pharmacy services continue to meet relevant professional, regulatory and governance standards whilst fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.
Person Specification
Communication
Essential
- Be able to provide highly complex information on both clinical pharmacy and financial issues and impart knowledge to all levels of healthcare professionals (up to and including senior consultants/professor/executive director level)
- Be able to provide highly complex information on medicines use and financial issues to multidisciplinary groups involving staff outside of Pharmacy (e.g. Medicines Optimisation Committee, APC, Trust Management Teams, Clinical Executive)
- Be able to provide highly complex information on clinical pharmacy issues to national organisations and at national/international conferences.
- Be able to use presentational aids. Be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats with staff and patients.
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to BPharm / MPharm/ BSc (Pharmacy) or equivalent
- Professional Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
- Postgraduate diploma in a relevant Pharmacy discipline (eg Clinical, General Pharmacy Practice) or equivalent experience
- Specialist higher degree or portfolio of experience at senior managerial level
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in business or management
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of working in NHS hospitals at a senior level e.g. Deputy Chief Pharmacist
- Experience of working with senior healthcare professionals outside of Pharmacy to achieve cross -Trust developments.
- Significant experience of managing a large number of staff
- Experience of managing teams.
- Significant experience of performing and supervising projects
- Understanding of change management approaches demonstrating experience of leading change programmes, including engagement with stake holders
- Ability to manage and influence challenging and complex clinical and performance issues.
Planning and Organization
Essential
- Be able to formulate long term strategic plans for the effective development of clinical pharmacy services
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
- Be flexible in responding to demands of the service
- Be able to concentrate on highly complex matters (drug use evaluations, drug query answering, clinical prescription review, checking of dispensed prescriptions) despite frequent interruptions.
- Be methodical in approach.
- Have experience of disciplinary matters and be able to impart results from them to staff in an appropriate and considered manner.
- Demonstrate emotional maturity and resilience when dealing with complex issues
Closing Date: 30 October 2026
To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.