Job summary
- Main area
- Specialised Commissioning Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 8 months (until 31 March 2027 - Secondment only for current NHS employees)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 990-LDN-EC3201-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 10 South Colonnade
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £66,274 - £73,496 per annum (inclusive of London Weighting)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 06/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialised Commissioning Pharmacy Adviser
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Our Organisation
We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate.
We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement, whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a confident and enthusiastic pharmacy professional with expertise in high-cost drugs commissioning to join the Specialised Commissioning Pharmacy Team (NHS England, London) as a Pharmacy Adviser.
This established role sits within a forward-thinking specialised commissioning team and requires significant NHS Trust experience, alongside the ability to lead and implement change. The successful candidate will contribute to delivering specialised commissioned medicines across London, working collaboratively with clinicians, patients, and Trusts, while supporting Improving Value initiatives that drive both financial efficiencies and quality improvements.
You will work within a highly motivated pharmacy team and a broader multidisciplinary network including finance, contracting, and business intelligence colleagues. The role spans local (Integrated Care Boards), regional, and national levels, offering wide-ranging impact.
GPhC registration is desirable.
This is a fixed-term role to cover Family leave until 31 March 2027, with potential extension to August 2027.
Main duties of the job
As a Specialised Commissioning Pharmacy Adviser, the post holder will work as part of a dynamic team to deliver an effective and high-quality service. The role requires proficiency in complex data analysis, including the development and implementation of data visualisation tools, and the use of data outputs to provide clinical and financial assurance, as well as to identify opportunities for medicines optimisation.
The post holder will provide professional, independent pharmaceutical advice across the London region, with a focus on the identification, interpretation, dissemination, and impact assessment of national policy guidance relating to specialised services, medicines, and technologies.
This role requires a combination of subject matter expertise and strong technical capability to support robust service delivery. The successful candidate will be experienced in interpreting and evaluating complex datasets and developing data-driven solutions that enhance pharmacy practice. They will also be an excellent communicator, with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, able to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and organisational boundaries.
Working for our organisation
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- UK accredited MPharm degree or historical equivalent or significant relevant professional experience
- Educated to diploma level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area
Knowledge and experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive knowledge of specialist areas (including high cost medicines) acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master’s level equivalent.
- Have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health & Social Care and individual provider and commissioning organisations including ICBs.
- Demonstrated experience in an Acute Trust environment
- Leadership experience with an ability to lead and implement local and national policy and strategy
Desirable criteria
- Experience of line managing staff
Skills Capabilities & Attributes
Essential criteria
- Excellent organisational and time management skills; The ability to work under pressure and complete work to tight deadlines
- Demonstrable skills in presenting complex concepts and information which may include difficult and controversial issues, across a wide range of audiences. This will include advance influencing and negotiating skills.
- Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution.
- Evidence of planning and delivering medicine optimisation programmes, projects and services on time.
- Demonstrable experience developing, managing and motivating teams/individuals to ensure success
Values and behaviours
Essential criteria
- Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
- Embrace change, viewing it as an opportunity to learn and develop.
- Values diversity and difference operates with integrity and openness.
Other
Essential criteria
- Able to travel across various sites across London and England as required
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Anudeep Riyat
- Job title
- Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Specialised Commissioning
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07768 390 135
List jobs with NHS England in Health Science Services or all sectors