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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy - Clinical
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (weekends, bank holidays rota and late shifts)
Job ref
193-8375442NCG
Employer
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust
Town
Reading
Salary
£57,528 - £64,750 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
17/11/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust logo

Lead Pharmacist- Education , Training and Workforce transformation

NHS AfC: Band 8a

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

At Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we are looking for an ambitious and innovative Senior Pharmacist to help shape the future of our pharmacy workforce.
This is more than a traditional education and training role. You will influence workforce development, strengthen clinical capability, support professional role redesign and help create a workforce ready to meet the evolving needs of patients and healthcare services.
A key aspect of the role is our established collaboration with the University of Reading, providing opportunities to strengthen the link between academic education and NHS pharmacy practice.
You will work with university colleagues, support the development of future pharmacy professionals and contribute to innovative approaches to education, clinical placements and professional development.
Working alongside a supportive pharmacy leadership team, you will play a central role in delivering our workforce transformation ambitions. Your portfolio will include workforce innovation, academic collaboration, education and professional development, advanced practice and prescribing, leadership development and strategic partnership working.
 
We are looking for someone who can inspire others, build strong relationships and drive sustainable improvements across pharmacy services while developing people and improving patient care.

Main duties of the job

·       To lead the development and delivery of the Pharmacy Department’s clinical practice and workforce development strategy

·       To oversee the development of clinical knowledge, skills and competencies across the pharmacy workforce

·       To act as the Educational Programme Director for foundation trainee pharmacists

·       To chair the Education and Training Development Group (ETDG),

·       To lead and coordinate the recruitment of rotational pharmacist

·       To act as a role model in clinical pharmacy practice, maintaining high professional standards and contributing to the delivery and continuous improvement of clinical pharmacy services 

·       To provide leadership and oversight of clinical competency development for pharmacists participating in the on-call service

·       To support the recruitment, management, supervision and professional development of pharmacy staff, ensuring a skilled, motivated and resilient workforce

·       To lead and maintain collaborative partnerships with universities and academic institutions

Working for our organisation

Diversity makes us interesting… Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.

Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.

We support flexible working wherever possible, with requests considered on an individual basis taking into account service requirements, operational needs and the requirements of the role.

Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.

If you need additional help with your application please get in touch by calling the recruitment team on 0118 322 6997 or 0118 322 5342.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See the Job description and Person Specification for further details of the role and responsibilities. 

Person specification

Qualifications/Education

Essential criteria
  • Master degree in Pharmacy and registration in GPhC
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, MSc or other Clinical Postgraduate qualification
  • Independent Prescriber
Desirable criteria
  • Member of Royal College of Pharmacy
  • Member UKCPA
  • Post Graduate qualifications relating to Training & Education
  • Formal leadership and / or management qualification or equivalent experiential learning

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Substantial Hospital Pharmacy experience of which a significant amount has been within an acute UK hospital environment.
  • Experience of delivering education and training to large and small groups of pharmacy staff.
  • Experience of establishing and maintaining constructive partnerships with external agencies
  • Ability to articulate a clear vision and strategy for pharmacy education and training and the associated developments required to deliver this
  • Experience of influencing change
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of developing links and / or teaching with academia
  • Experience of practice research with evidence of publications, abstracts, presentations, audits
  • Evidence of professional involvement at a regional or national level

Skilss and abilities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication/presentation skills – both verbal and written
  • Ability to plan and complete tasks within tight deadlines
  • Remains calm under pressure, personally effective in all situations and able to change communication style to suit the audience
  • Ability to work unsupervised
  • Assertive character
  • High professional standards

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Bilyana Doncheva
Job title
Associate Chief Pharmacist- Operations &Workforce
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01183 226970
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