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Job summary

Main area
Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS)
Grade
Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Home or remote working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
287-PPU-7-25
Employer
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Pharmacy Practice Unit
Town
Liverpool
Salary
£55,690 - £62,682 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
15/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

QA Specialist - Specialist Pharmacy Service

Band 8a

Job overview

This vacancy is for the Specialist Pharmacy Service, based at the Pharmacy Practice Unit. (PPU). The PPU is a service hosted by Liverpool University Hospitals.

The SPS Quality Assurance team are seeking to recruit a highly motivated, enthusiastic and forward thinking individual to join our Hub team based at the Pharmacy Practice Unit in Liverpool.

The Quality Assurance Specialist will work as part of a national team in delivering successful patient outcomes by ensuring medicines that are bought, prepared and supplied in the NHS are evidenced based, safe, and are of high quality. This will involve working closely with the pharmaceutical Industry and NHS manufacturing and preparation units.

 

Main duties of the job

To deliver a range of specialist Quality Assurance duties as part of North the North West Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance team relating to:

Audit of unlicensed aseptic units.
Provision of advice and support
Development of best practice guidance
Quality assessment of medicines
Project management & delivery
Workforce training & development

Working for our organisation

The Specialist Pharmacy Service’s (SPS) national Quality Assurance Service supports the principles of medicines optimisation by developing and championing best practice and by ensuring continuous improvement through the implementation of quality risk management systems in NHS medicines manufacturing & preparation and NHS supply chain management.

The post will be hosted by Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with remote working facilitating candidates to reside anywhere in the NW Region and beyond.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Audit of unlicensed aseptic units in accordance with EL 97(52).

Supporting Trusts in the design and validation and operation of clean rooms, facilities and equipment.

Supporting Trusts in applying for and maintaining their MHRA Specials licences, including provision of specialist advice during MHRA inspections.

Providing specialist advice to technical service managers with regard to sterility assurance, pharmaceutical microbiology, cleanroom technology, medicines formulation, stability and process validation Quality Risk Management of the Medicines Supply chain 

To provide a highly specialist service to underpin the procurement of licensed and unlicensed medicines to NHS Trusts w to optimise the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and related
products used by  NHS Hospitals

Supporting licensed and unlicensed medicines contracting through development of service/tender specifications and technical agreements, assessment of suppliers through audit and evaluation of quality risk management systems to ensure compliance with service specifications and regulatory requirements,  assessing the pharmaceutical quality of medicines and medical devices and their potential for medication error.

Evaluation of scientific and technical reports relating to medicines e.g. drug stability reports.

Providing on-going contract support by reviewing quality indicators and liaising closely with suppliers to resolve quality issues.

Facilitating the effective communication of drug alerts and recalls from the MHRA to Trusts.

Reviewing and assessing reports of defective medicines from Trusts, liaising with suppliers where required and submitting summaries to the national reporting system.

For full details, please refer to the attached job description

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Masters degree in Pharmaceutical Technology & Quality Assurance OR Masters degree in Pharmacy OR equivalent experience to Masters degree level
  • Basic qualification in pharmaceutical sciences (BTEC) or an equivalent scientific qualification to same level
Desirable criteria
  • Further qualification in risk management
  • Member of a recognised body e.g. Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Extensive post qualification experience
  • Extensive experience of Good Manufacturing Practice relating to pharmaceutical manufacturing and preparation
  • Significant experience of risk management and quality management systems and their application
  • Experience of auditing and self inspection to meet pharmaceutical regulatory requirements
  • Experience in the planning and delivery of training (large and small groups)
  • Experience of multi disciplinary working and to have evidence to demonstrate successful management of significant changes in complex environments
  • Experience and evidence of successful development and implementation of policies and procedures to satisfy regulatory requirements
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of quality assessment of pharmaceuticals
  • Experience of supporting the outsourcing of medicines and services by the NHS

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Specialist knowledge of the regulatory and NHS standards and guidance relating to medicines manufacture and preparation.
  • Specialist knowledge of the regulatory and NHS standard sand guidance relating to the safe storage and supply of medicines.
  • Specialist knowledge of the standards and guidance relating to home care medicines services.
  • Specialist knowledge of the principles of quality risk management as applicable to medicines manufacture and preparation.
  • Specialist knowledge of clean-room design, technology and operation for pharmaceutical processing.
  • Understanding of pharmaceutical quality control testing methods and their application to medicines manufacture and preparation
Desirable criteria
  • Understanding of the regulatory and NHS standards and guidance relating to medicines procurement and supply
  • Understanding of health and safety legislation as applicable to medicines manufacture and preparation.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Employment Charter Status - Aspiring LevelNHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardTrust IDVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in PeopleArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Carer confident logo, the employers for carers confident schemeDisability confident committedStep into health

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Mark Jackson
Job title
SPS QA Function Lead
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07887804621
Additional information

Preferred method of contact is via email. Appointments by arrangement with Faye Black (PA) [email protected]

 

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
L9 7AL
Telephone
0151 706 4666
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