Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent: 1 in 6 Weekends and bank holidays as per rota
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Additional Weekend and bank holiday working as per rota)
- Job ref
- 391-RFL-7049159
- Employer
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal free Hospital
- Town
- Hampstead
- Salary
- £35,964 - £43,780 Per Annum inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 20/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Band 5 Senior Production Technician
NHS AfC: Band 5
Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.
Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.
Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free
Job overview
Are you a dynamic, driven, innovative and motivated team leader?
The opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified supervisor to join our Pharmacy Production Unit. The post would suit a qualified Pharmacy
technician or Science Manufacturing Technician (SMT) who is currently working in a Pharmacy Production unit or Pharmaceutical Industry with experience of working within the manufacturing
environment.
You must have manufacturing technical experience, be well-motivated, have good communication skills, well informed about the GMP & GCP regulatory standards and works well as a team member and leader.
The post covers a wide range of duties as outlined in the Job summary section of the job description.
You will hold a BTEC/NVQ3 in Pharmaceutical science / Level 3 diploma in principles and practice for Pharmacy Technicians or equivalent Science Manufacturing Technician academic study or registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) or professional body.
Note the applicant may be asked to rotate at the RF Hampstead site or any other Hospitals that join our Group Model.
The position is a permanent post of 37.5 hours per week and will include 7 day cover & Bank Holiday cover. This post may require cross-site working at Barnet & Royal Free hospitals and any other hospitals that joins our Group Model.
Full support is available and we fully encourage the training and development of all our staff, including participation in CPD work.
Previous applicants need not apply.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is to assist the Chief Technician and act as a supervisor in the day to day running of one of the following teams, the Chemotherapy unit, the Sterile Batches Unit, the Central Intravenous Additive Service (CIVAS) and the Non-Sterile Manufacturing Department in addition to training new and less experienced staff working in these units.
The post holder will be a member of one of these and will rotate between teams as required.
It is the post-holder’s responsibility to ensure that all products made are manufactured in accordance with the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice, COSHH and Health and Safety Directives.
The post-holder will be expected to deputise for the Chief Technician in each area in his / her absence.
The post-holder is expected to develop and maintain personal expertise in all technical aspects of manufacture and extemporaneous preparation undertaken within the production unit at The Royal Free Hospital, in particular aseptic preparation. To this end, they will be responsible for ensuring their own accreditations are completed and re-validated within the specified time frames.
Working for our organisation
The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.
Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top
For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Person specification
Trust values
Essential criteria
- Demonstrated ability to meet Trust value questions
Education / professional qualifications
Essential criteria
- BTEC and NVQ Level 3 in Pharmaceutical Science and Pharmacy Services / Level 3 Diploma in Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians or Level 3 or above SMT qualification or due to complete soon.
- Pharmacy Technician Registered Member of the GPhC or Registered Science Manufacturing Technician (SMT) or relevant experience
- Evidence of CPD / Revalidation
Desirable criteria
- NHS Leadership or recognised equivalent qualification.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstratable experience working in a pharmacy production services (with or without Specials License) where GMP is enforced.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of training, supervising and developing junior and rotation staff.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience supervising drug manufacturing processes, and ensuring GMP, COSHH and Health and Safety Directives are followed by all staff at all times.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in restricted environment with cleanroom gowning for lengthy periods.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Ability to make a wide range of aseptically prepared products, using laminar flow cabinets and isolators.
- Good aseptic skills demonstrated by a series of negative broth runs.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to make a range of non-sterile products.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Good, clear, accurate written communication skills
- Highly motivated & use of initiative
- Demonstrated pharmacy computer and IT skills, including data entry, word processing and email.
Desirable criteria
- Ability to prioritise and organise routine daily tasks using own initiative and respond appropriately to urgent requests.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Demonstrated good manual dexterity to undertake fine and accurate manipulative work.
- Demonstrated ability to accurately follow written procedures under pressure.
- Ability to identify small foreign particles in manufactured products requiring good eyesight.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Demonstrated ability to manage load handling issues and ensure local Manual handling procedures are followed.
- Demonstrated ability to handle hazardous materials safely according to local standard operating procedures.
Personal Qualities & attributes
Essential criteria
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
- Well developed concentration skills
- Demonstrated ability to maintain quality standards
- Good problem solving and analytical skills
- Demonstrated knowledge of aspects of a GMP and QA system.
- Flexibility to work weekends and Bank Holidays as necessary (on a rota basis)
- Demonstrated ability to motivate self and others
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrated effective customer service skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work to set procedures
Skills and aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Demonstrated accurate numeracy skills, without using a calculator, including complex calculations, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, percentages, decimal, fractions, and ratio.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sammy Ismail
- Job title
- Lead Operational Pharmacist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 7794 0500
- Additional information
Sammy Ismail
Lead Operational Pharmacist - Sterile & Non-sterile
0203 758 2000 ext: 32060
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