Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Job summary
We are seeking two experienced and motivated clinical pharmacists to join our pharmacy team as Division Lead Pharmacists (Band 8a).
Our Division Lead Pharmacists provide senior clinical leadership across the following divisions: Adult Acute and Urgent Care Services; Specialist Services (Children and Young People and Older People); Learning Disabilities and Forensic Services; and Adult Community Services. Our two current vacancies are within the the CAMHS, Perinatal Mental Health Service and Mother & Babys Unit role will be for a period up to 12 months before being reallocated elsewhere.
These are senior leadership roles within the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Team, providing strategic, clinical and operational leadership across a diverse portfolio of specialist services. The post holders will lead the development and delivery of high-quality, evidence-based and patient-centred pharmacy services, ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines across both inpatient and community settings.
The successful candidates will work closely with senior clinicians, managers and multidisciplinary teams to influence prescribing practice, improve patient outcomes and drive medicines optimisation initiatives across the service.
This is an excellent opportunity for pharmacists looking to progress their career within specialist mental health services whilst contributing to innovative service development and quality improvement programmes.
Main duties of the job
As a Division Lead Pharmacist, you will provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy expertise in mental health, learning disabilities and forensic services
You will lead and develop pharmacy services across the assigned division, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based and cost-effective medicines use
- Provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy expertise in mental health, learning disabilities and forensic services
- Lead and develop pharmacy services across assigned divisions, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based and cost-effective medicines use
- Influence prescribing practice and contribute to Trust-wide medicines optimisation strategy and governance
- Use Independent Prescribing skills (where qualified) within agreed scopes and Trust policy
- Support medicines safety through incident review, learning, audit and quality improvement initiatives
- Line manage and develop Band 6/7 pharmacists and other pharmacy staff, fostering a strong learning culture
- Deliver and oversee education and training for pharmacists, technicians and wider healthcare professionals
- Contribute to policy development, formulary management and Trust committees (e.g. Drugs & Therapeutics)
- Work collaboratively across services and systems to support safe and seamless transfer of car
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
Essential
- BPharm / MPharm / BSc Pharmacy
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Postgraduate clinical pharmacy certificate/ diploma or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrates own CPD record/ or documented CPD
Desirable
- Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
- Postgraduate Certificate/diploma in Psychiatric Therapeutics or equivalent experience
- Postgraduate diploma in Advanced Clinical Practice
- Leadership or Management Qualification
- Independent prescribing qualification (or working towards)
- Member of the RPS Education and Standards Committee
- Post-registration Foundation or Core advanced credentialed with RPS
EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Experience of working in a secondary care setting, (demonstrable post qualification hospital pharmacy practice)
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Evidence of involvement in clinical pharmacy provision and in operational management
- Writing and reviewing of policies, guidelines, and procedures
- Documented evidence of completed audit work and research practice
- Good, broad clinical knowledge and ability to apply to a ward, community and dispensary setting
- Experience in managing workload
Desirable
- Experience of working as a member of a multidisciplinary team in mental health and learning disabilities
- Evidence of education, training, performance management and development of staff
- Good management skills – including recruitment, supervision, and appraisals
- Experience showing leadership skills or equivalent
- Managing quality and cost effectiveness initiatives
- Experience in incident analysis and investigation
- Awareness of current issues facing the NHS
- Experience of project management
- Experience of carrying out clinical supervision
- Experience of chairing committees
SKILLS / COMMUNICATION
Essential
- An ability to organise and prioritise own workload and that of others
- An ability to lead, inspire and motivate a team
- Engaging, compassionate and caring communication skills when dealing with patients/family/carers on complex/sensitive issues
- Experience of delivering training to staff
- Highly developed physical skills in dispensing, preparing, and checking of medicines involving a high level of accuracy.
- English language competency sufficient to communicate effectively with all staff and deliver education sessions in an appropriate form
- Confident, able to influence and assertive when dealing with other professionals.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
- Team player with leadership skills
- Able to prioritise and meet deadlines
- Shows initiative and has well-developed problemsolving skills
- Demonstrates attention to detail, accuracy, and numeracy skills
Desirable
- Ability to analyse highly complex information, both clinical, financial, and managerial
KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Advanced theoretical and technical, clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge relating to the promotion of high quality, effective and cost-efficient use of medicines, including a wide range of work procedures and practices
- An awareness of NHS Plan, and clinical governance priorities
- Good knowledge of all medicines legislation relating to the supply and storage of medicines
ABILITY
Essential
- Able to deal with conflicting demands on workload and frequent interruptions
- Ability to work under pressure
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Essential
- Able to critically appraise clinical trial data and research papers.
PHYSICAL EFFORT
Essential
- Driving across Hertfordshire to different bases/units
MENTAL EFFORT
Essential
- Communication of complex information about medicines regarding individual service users within own organisation and across other organisations for example commissioning organisations, acute trusts, or community pharmacy
VALUES/MOTIVATIONAL/PERSONAL QUALITIES /DIVERSITY
Essential
- Welcoming/Kind/Positive/Respectful/Professional
Closing Date: 1 November 2026
To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.