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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8c
Contract
Permanent: 37.5 hours
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (None)
Job ref
193-8099530NCG
Employer
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Berkshire Hospital
Town
Reading
Salary
£79,504 - £91,609 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
21/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust logo

Associate Chief Pharmacist - Operations, Cancer Services and Workforce

NHS AfC: Band 8c

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”

Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements.  The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.  

We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions

We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate

We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live

We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us.  We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.  

Please note: all vacancies automatically close when 50 applications have been received.

Job overview

Band 8C Associate Chief Pharmacist – Operations, Cancer Services and Workforce

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Pharmacy Senior Leadership Team at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust following the promotion and relocation of the current post holder.

Reporting directly to the Chief Pharmacist, you will provide strategic, professional and operational leadership across a diverse portfolio, including inpatient and outpatient pharmacy service, pharmacy cancer services, aseptic services, pharmacy clinical trials, homecare medicines service, pharmacy procurement and distribution, workforce development and pharmacy education.

This is a pivotal leadership role where you will drive service transformation, workforce development, innovation and operational excellence, while deputising for the Chief Pharmacist and influencing pharmacy strategy across the Trust and wider healthcare system.

 You will also play a leading role in developing our pharmacy workforce, supporting education, leadership development, succession planning and organisational culture, helping us build a resilient, high-performing team for the future.

We are looking for an ambitious, compassionate, forward-thinking and inspirational pharmacy leader with significant senior leadership experience, excellent strategic and operational skills, and a passion for developing people and delivering high-quality, patient-centred services.

Main duties of the job

Working with the Chief Pharmacist to provide professional leadership for the pharmacy services to the Trust and other external customers:

  • To develop strategic and innovative plans for the pharmacy operational services across the Trust and ensuring these are aligned to the overall Trust strategy.
  • To lead pharmacy operational services and contribute to the development and implementation of the Trust strategic plans. 
  • To support the Chief Pharmacist in the development of the overall strategic vision for the pharmacy service, including strategy development, service planning, budgeting and financial management. 
  • To develop business cases and bids for funding of services, for capital development within pharmacy operations. 

If you are looking for the next step in your career and the opportunity to shape the future of pharmacy services within an ambitious and forward-thinking pharmacy department, we would love to hear from you.

We are committed to investing in our people, developing compassionate leaders and creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive. If you share our ambition to deliver outstanding patient care and inspire high-performing teams, we welcome your application.

Working for our organisation

Reading sits on the river Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.

The CQC rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.

Our "CARE"  values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented staff to make this happen.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To have overall management accountability for the Aseptic & QA services provided by  the department, Dispensary Services, the R&D team, Homecare Services, Pharmacy procurement and Stores, workforce and development.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the job role.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Master's degree in Pharmacy (MPharm)
  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a pharmacist
  • Postgraduate qualification in Clinical Pharmacy practice or equivalent (minimum Postgraduate Diploma)
  • Postgraduate Management qualification or equivalent experience with training courses attended
Desirable criteria
  • Project management qualification or equivalent experience
  • Membership of the Royal Pharmacy College

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to develop and communicate a clear strategic vision, providing professional leadership and direction across clinical and operational pharmacy services
  • Comprehensive knowledge of the statutory, regulatory and professional requirements relating to pharmacy practice, health and safety, and employment legislation
  • Excellent leadership, people management and influencing skills, with the ability to lead senior teams and deliver organisational objectives

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Extensive senior leadership experience as a pharmacist within an acute NHS hospital setting, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality clinical, operational and strategic pharmacy services
  • Demonstrable experience of leading the strategic development, transformation and continuous improvement of pharmacy services within a complex healthcare environment
  • Significant experience in leading and developing multidisciplinary teams, including workforce planning, performance management, appraisal, coaching and organisational change
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of influencing regional or national pharmacy workforce, education or training initiatives

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Florence Nightingale FoundationNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality Mark 2024

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy will automatically close when 50 applications have been received.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Catherine Olie
Job title
Chief Pharmacist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01183227797
Additional information

For an informal chat about the job with the Chief Pharmacist, please contact Melanie Richardson to arrange an appointment (note: off on Tuesdays) 0118 322 7800 / [email protected]

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