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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, Providing weekend, Bank Holiday and Late cover as per rota)
Job ref
318-26-T0383
Employer
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Cheltenham General Hospital
Town
Cheltenham
Salary
£25,760 - £27,476 (pa, pro rata if part-time)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
24/06/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO), Stores and Distribution

Band 3

At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to more than 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital.

With over 9,000 employees representing more than 95 nationalities, bringing together a mix of cultures and experiences to the care that we deliver. Whether you’re beginning your NHS journey or looking to take the next step in your career, this is an exciting time to join us. We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals.

We take pride in working as one team, driven by a shared ambition to grow, develop, and continually improve. Every contribution is valued and by combining our collective strengths, we support not only our diverse communities but one another. You can expect a warm, supportive culture and colleagues who are passionate about teamwork, professional development and delivering exceptional care. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

Be part of Gloucestershire Hospitals, explore your future with us today.

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced and organised pharmacy professional with a strong background in pharmacy stores and distribution services. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the safe, accurate, and efficient receipt, storage, control, and supply of medicines while maintaining high standards of stock management and compliance with pharmacy procedures and health and safety legislation.

The ideal candidate will have experience supervising, training, and supporting staff and volunteers in medicines handling, ordering procedures, and stock control processes. Experience as a Pharmacy Automated Dispensing Machine Super User is desirable, including providing troubleshooting support, staff training, and maintaining effective stock line management.

Applicants should have knowledge of medicines storage compliance, including fridge monitoring, temperature investigations, medicines returns, invoice reconciliation, and general pharmacy administration. A strong understanding of health and safety responsibilities, including fire safety, risk assessments, and incident reporting, is essential.

We are seeking someone who is reliable, detail-focused, and committed to delivering a safe, efficient, and high-quality pharmacy service within a busy healthcare environment.

Additional working pattern details: Monday to Friday, Providing weekend, Bank Holiday and Late cover as per rota

Main duties of the job

Stores Duties

Maintain accurate documentation, delivery records, invoice filing, and stock control processes using the Pharmacy EMIS system.

Monitor stock rotation, expiry dates, discrepancies, damaged stock, and assist with stock checks and stock taking activities.

Monitor and ensure compliance of cold chain storage of medicines.

Investigate and resolve any temperature excursions of cold chain storage facilities.

Automated Dispensing Machine Duties:

- Perform a weekly shut down/ reboot of the automated dispensing machine

- Update and maintain new drug information including bar codes into the automated dispensing machine interface computer.

- Liaise with the machine manufacturers when unable to deal with breakdown/operational Issues

Distribution duties

- Work closely with the Senior Technician for Purchasing and Distribution to support the effective delivery of pharmacy distribution services.

- Supervise, coordinate, and support staff and volunteers within the distribution section to maintain safe and efficient service delivery.

- Prepare and manage ward top-up rotas, ensuring appropriate staffing levels and organising cover for sickness absence and annual leave.

Health and Safety Duties

- Act as the departmental representative for Health and Safety, attending and contributing to regular meetings and ensuring compliance within the area.

 Please refer to the job description for further information.

Working for our organisation

We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.

With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.

As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

If you're interested in this role and would like further information, please review the job description and person specification attached.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
  • GCSE Math and English Grade C/4 or above or equivalent

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good understanding of medicines storage requirements, including cold chain storage.
  • Confident IT skills, including use of pharmacy computer systems and Microsoft Office applications.
  • Ability to supervise, delegate, and support staff effectively.
  • Ability to investigate and resolve routine operational issues.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of stock control, stock rotation, expiry date monitoring, and stock checking processes.
  • Experience maintaining accurate records and documentation.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience supervising staff or volunteers within a pharmacy or healthcare setting.
  • Experience using automated dispensing systems or pharmacy robots.

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work independently and respond flexibly to changing service demands.
  • Able to work accurately under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • Confident manual handling skills and ability to undertake physical aspects of the role.
  • Reliable, adaptable, and willing to learn new skills.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesWorkplace Wellbeing Charter LogoArmed Forces Covenant Gold Awardcorporate covenantStep into healthArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Mike Watson
Job title
Senior Pharmacy Technician Procurement and stores
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0300 422 3646
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