Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday)
- Job ref
- 151-SL0531
- Employer
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Frimley Park Hospital
- Town
- Frimley
- Salary
- £28,860 - £31,671 per annum incl HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Assistant Purchasing Manager
Band 4
Job overview
To provide daily support to the Purchasing Manager in the operational running of the purchasing department.
This includes processing outstanding orders from suppliers, communicating accurate information on supply problems, investigating stock discrepancies, co-ordinating drug recalls and responding to urgent ad-hoc requests for medications from the pharmacy team.
Visa Sponsorship:
This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the contract.
Main duties of the job
- To ensure adequate supplies of drugs and non-drugs are available to meet the needs of the service.
- To manage the team of purchasing and invoicing assistants, including writing rotas, being actively involved in recruitment and selection, appraisals and reviewing annual leave requests.
- To process outstanding orders from our suppliers and provide accurate information to our users on manufacturing/supply problems.
- To investigate and correct any stock discrepancies.
- To co-ordinate and process drug recalls.
- To report minor product defects.
- To be involved in the development and implementation of E-Procurement platform(s) for contract, ordering and invoicing purposes.
- To respond to urgent requests on ad-hoc basis.
- To authorise chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition orders on-line.
Working for our organisation
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme.
We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.
Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.
We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Work alongside Purchasing Manager on procurement of drugs and non-drugs.
- Ensure adequate stock levels to meet service demand.
- Process outstanding supplier orders.
- Manage supply issues and inform users about shortages.
- Investigate and correct stock discrepancies.
- Implement waste-reduction strategies (e.g., expired stock management).
- Coordinate drug recalls and report minor product defects.
- Update purchasing contracts and maintain confidentiality.
- Process contract amendments.
- Perform invoice and credit reconciliation.
- Investigate contract variance reports.
- Liaise with suppliers and finance departments.
- Maintain logs (transport, errors, off-contract claims).
- Ensure audit-ready financial records.
- Authorise chemotherapy and PN orders online.
- Assist with receipts section problems.
- Respond to urgent procurement queries.
- Validate suppliers and customers.
- Ensure legal and procedural compliance.
This job description is an indication of the type and range of tasks that are expected of the post holder, and other duties may be required, in line with the role and the banding. It will be reviewed and amended from time to time in consultation with the post holder to take account of changing organisational need.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to GCSE or equivalent to include Maths and English.
- Intermediate level skills in common MS Office software
- Good understanding of accounts and ledgers
Desirable criteria
- Formal purchasing qualification such as CIPS Certificate or Advanced Certificate
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of receipt and issue of goods.
- Experience of managing a team of staff including appraisal and performance management.
- Experience of training and supervision.
- Experience of purchasing environment, for example as a junior buyer / buyer or equivalent.
- Experience of implementing contracts.
- Experience of customer care.
Desirable criteria
- Hospital or retail pharmacy Experience.
- Experience of working with ecommerce solutions.
- Experience of liaising with customers and suppliers.
Skills & knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of stock control.
- Manage ordering, invoicing and credit processes.
- Able to follow laid down procedures.
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Numerate and literate.
- Attention to detail.
- Able to work as individual and as part of team.
- Ability to prioritise personal and team objectives and delegate effectively.
- Able to work calmly and effectively under pressure and to strict deadlines.
- Good problem-solving skills and demonstrates a proactive attitude.
- Implementation of change.
- Delivery of customer requests within tight deadlines.
- Approachable and able to motivate others.
- Adaptable and flexible approach to work.
- Excellent time management skills.
Desirable criteria
- Logical and confident decision-making ability.
- Working knowledge of Pharmacy systems such as Epic and Powergate.
- Proactive attitude to work.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Pia Christoffersen
- Job title
- Pharmacy Purchasing Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 03006134734
- Additional information
Parmeet Bhamra, Pharmacy Operational Lead;
email [email protected]
03006134725
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