Job summary
Great things are happening in our Hospital Pharmacy Services across University Hospitals Liverpool Group (UHLG). UHLG is one of largest and most complex NHS organisations in the UK, serving a large, diverse and deprived population.
Following the successful business case to expand the Pharmacy service on the Liverpool Women's Hospital site we are excited to introduce several new roles to support our dedicated Pharmacy teams across UHLG.
We're recruiting an exceptionalPharmacy Operations Managerto lead our Procurement, Stores, and Distribution teams across all UHLG sites. This is a senior leadership opportunity for an inspiring professional ready to drive innovation, efficiency, and patient-centred care.
You'll be a role model for excellence, with strong interpersonal skills and a passion for collaborative improvement. Your leadership will ensure the right medicines reach the right patients at the right time, while fostering a culture of continuous development. If you're ready to shape the future of pharmacy services in a progressive NHS environment, we'd love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
As themost senior Pharmacy Technicianin medicines procurement and distribution, you will:
- Lead operational delivery and performance for pharmacy procurement, stores, and distribution across UHLG sites (Liverpool Women's, Royal Liverpool, Aintree University, and Broadgreen Hospitals).
- Act as theDeputy Responsible Person (RP)for the wholesale dealer's license, ensuring compliance and best practice.
- Develop cost-effective, innovative services that meet patient and multidisciplinary team needs.
- Line manage theTechnical Services Managerand collaborate with the Pharmacy Leadership Team to achieve group-wide objectives.
- Drive service improvements, ensuring seamless medicine supply and operational resilience.
This role operates across UHLG sites, offering a unique opportunity to influence system-wide pharmacy excellence.
About us
Liverpool Women's NHS FT became part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG) in November 2024, following the coming together with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT. UHLG was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide to our patients.
UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond. For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, UHLG is also their local NHS, providing general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder is the most senior Pharmacy Technician responsible for medicines procurement, stores and distribution areas across University Hospitals Liverpool Group (UHLG) and will take the operational lead for all related technical services across sites. UHLG is one of largest and most complex NHS organisations in the UK, serving a large, diverse and deprived population.
As part of the Pharmacy Leadership Team, the post holder will work closely with other Lead Pharmacy Managers to deliver Group wide objectives and service developments.
They will take responsibility for all technical aspects of Procurement, stores and distribution area Operations which will involve providing timely and effective management support, ensuring that services are responsive, innovative and provided to the highest possible standards.
The post holder will work alongside other members of the Senior Pharmacy Leadership Team to manage the day to day provision of medicines to all sites.
They will line manage the Technical Services Manager for Procurement, Stores and Distribution and be responsible for operational management. They will extend the roles of technical staff and ensure staff have the necessary training and competence to deliver the extended roles.
They will be responsible to the Deputy Chief Pharmacist Medicines Value and Transformation for the delivery of operational activity and performance objectives.
See attached JD for further details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder is the most senior Pharmacy Technician responsible for medicines procurement, stores and distribution areas across University Hospitals Liverpool Group (UHLG) and will take the operational lead for all related technical services across sites. UHLG is one of largest and most complex NHS organisations in the UK, serving a large, diverse and deprived population.
As part of the Pharmacy Leadership Team, the post holder will work closely with other Lead Pharmacy Managers to deliver Group wide objectives and service developments.
They will take responsibility for all technical aspects of Procurement, stores and distribution area Operations which will involve providing timely and effective management support, ensuring that services are responsive, innovative and provided to the highest possible standards.
The post holder will work alongside other members of the Senior Pharmacy Leadership Team to manage the day to day provision of medicines to all sites.
They will line manage the Technical Services Manager for Procurement, Stores and Distribution and be responsible for operational management. They will extend the roles of technical staff and ensure staff have the necessary training and competence to deliver the extended roles.
They will be responsible to the Deputy Chief Pharmacist Medicines Value and Transformation for the delivery of operational activity and performance objectives.
See attached JD for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in-depth experience in leading technical services
- NVQ Level 3 / BTEC in Pharmacy Services or equivalent nationally recognised qualification
- BTEC Professional Diploma - Final Accuracy Checking
- A1 NVQ Assessor qualification
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician
- Postgraduate Management qualification or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration experience and currently employed in a senior role managing a large team of pharmacy technicians.
- In-depth experience of hospital pharmacy operational management across a range of areas.
- In-depth experience of service development and performance management, writing standard operating procedures, developing KPIs and taking corrective action as necessary.
- In-depth experience of team leadership.
- Management experience including recruitment, appraisal, training, leadership, motivation, sickness absence and participation in grievance or disciplinary procedures.
- Developing and implementing service change.
- Regular liaison with other senior hospital staff and external agencies.
- Experience of multidisciplinary working to deliver Trust initiatives or resolving issues
- Delivering training and education.
- Significant, relevant and ongoing personal CPD.
- Experience in risk management and incident investigation
Desirable
- Management of pay and/or non-pay budgets.
- Experience in project management
- Experience of developing business cases for service development, including monitoring of outputs.
Knowledge
Essential
- Medicines Legislation as it applies to all area in pharmacy and application to Policies & Procedures and best practice
- National Pharmacy Standards, e.g. GPhC, MHRA etc.
- Service improvement methodology to effectively improve and evaluate services. E.g. Lean and other service methods
- Various performance metrics and methods to display results to engage staff in improvement.
- Awareness of and a commitment to the Clinical Governance Agenda.
- Knowledge of a range of management topics including, performance capability, disciplinary and financial management, service improvement.
Skills
Essential
- Ability to interpret and apply professional standards and medicines legislation.
- Excellent planning, organisation and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise own workload and that of others.
- Ability to act on own initiative, under pressure and making long term plans with minimal supervision.
- Innovation that impacts across other services.
- Ability to write clear concise business cases, papers, procedures and reports.
- Confidence to present cases to a large group of staff whilst maintaining a clear message.
- Ability to change service delivery in response to audit results.
- Ability to engage and motivate staff to deliver on service objectives and work well as a team.
- Ability to deal with personal/team conflict.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills - written
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills - oral
- Skilled negotiator with influencing skills.
- Ability to delegate appropriately maintaining team motivation and clarity of purpose to deliver objectives.
- Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations, competing demands and tight timescales. Ability to remain calm in difficult and challenging situations.
- Flexible, adaptable
- Ability to handle conflict and complaints.
- High degree of computer literacy including database searching and manipulation of spreadsheets.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent in-depth experience in leading technical services
- NVQ Level 3 / BTEC in Pharmacy Services or equivalent nationally recognised qualification
- BTEC Professional Diploma - Final Accuracy Checking
- A1 NVQ Assessor qualification
- Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician
- Postgraduate Management qualification or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration experience and currently employed in a senior role managing a large team of pharmacy technicians.
- In-depth experience of hospital pharmacy operational management across a range of areas.
- In-depth experience of service development and performance management, writing standard operating procedures, developing KPIs and taking corrective action as necessary.
- In-depth experience of team leadership.
- Management experience including recruitment, appraisal, training, leadership, motivation, sickness absence and participation in grievance or disciplinary procedures.
- Developing and implementing service change.
- Regular liaison with other senior hospital staff and external agencies.
- Experience of multidisciplinary working to deliver Trust initiatives or resolving issues
- Delivering training and education.
- Significant, relevant and ongoing personal CPD.
- Experience in risk management and incident investigation
Desirable
- Management of pay and/or non-pay budgets.
- Experience in project management
- Experience of developing business cases for service development, including monitoring of outputs.
Knowledge
Essential
- Medicines Legislation as it applies to all area in pharmacy and application to Policies & Procedures and best practice
- National Pharmacy Standards, e.g. GPhC, MHRA etc.
- Service improvement methodology to effectively improve and evaluate services. E.g. Lean and other service methods
- Various performance metrics and methods to display results to engage staff in improvement.
- Awareness of and a commitment to the Clinical Governance Agenda.
- Knowledge of a range of management topics including, performance capability, disciplinary and financial management, service improvement.
Skills
Essential
- Ability to interpret and apply professional standards and medicines legislation.
- Excellent planning, organisation and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise own workload and that of others.
- Ability to act on own initiative, under pressure and making long term plans with minimal supervision.
- Innovation that impacts across other services.
- Ability to write clear concise business cases, papers, procedures and reports.
- Confidence to present cases to a large group of staff whilst maintaining a clear message.
- Ability to change service delivery in response to audit results.
- Ability to engage and motivate staff to deliver on service objectives and work well as a team.
- Ability to deal with personal/team conflict.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills - written
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills - oral
- Skilled negotiator with influencing skills.
- Ability to delegate appropriately maintaining team motivation and clarity of purpose to deliver objectives.
- Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations, competing demands and tight timescales. Ability to remain calm in difficult and challenging situations.
- Flexible, adaptable
- Ability to handle conflict and complaints.
- High degree of computer literacy including database searching and manipulation of spreadsheets.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
