Job summary
We are looking for a motivated team member to join our Team.
Your role as a Senior Pharmacy Assistant within Distribution will include supervising the daily workflow and supporting Pharmacy Assistants.
Your role will be customer service based providing effective and efficient distribution of medicines. The role will include undertaking ward top ups, recycling of medicines, temperature excursions and stock list amendments.
NVQ 2 in Pharmacy Services is required for this post. The successful candidate will be enrolled following recruitment.
Main duties of the job
The main duties will include, ward top ups, supervising distribution, supporting our Pharmacy Assistants, stock list amendments, customer services, training other staff members, maintain audit trail, recycling medicines, manage temperature excursions, scanning of orders and picking/packing of medicines. (See Job description for full details)
All duties are conducted in accordance with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures.
About us
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
As per Home Office guidelines, please be aware that, unfortunately, the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular position.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 12 October 2025
Interviews are due to be held on 20 October 2025
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
As per Home Office guidelines, please be aware that, unfortunately, the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular position.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 12 October 2025
Interviews are due to be held on 20 October 2025
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Evidence of good general level of education required
- Literate and numerate to the degree required for job description tasks (usually reading, writing, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and simple calculations)
- Good IT skills Excel/Word. Be able to learn and use the inventory computer systems
- Ability to carry out instructions and recall.
Desirable
- Having attained or working towards ECDL - F syllabus 4.0 units 1,2,3,6 & 7 (ITQ)
- NVQ2 Customer Services or Warehousing and Distribution
- NVQ Pharmacy Services or working towards. (Mandatory to undertake NQV 2 for this role upon successful recruitment)
Experience
Essential
- Work experience in pharmacy
- Experience of working in a customer focused environment
- Interpersonal skills
Desirable
- Knowledge and Experience of Good Distribution Practice
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of Materials Management
- Knowledge of Inventory Management
Desirable
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Skills
Essential
- Good verbal communication
- Good written communication
- Good interpersonal skills
- Organised
- Excellent Attention to detail
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- Ability to work alone and as part of a team, and make decisions commensurate with Responsibilities of the role.
- Able to respond to change and apply new developments without difficulty
- Shows initiative
- Demonstrates resilience and an ability to cope under pressure commensurate with responsibilities of the post
- Receptive to priorities of the patient, carers and other staff groups
- Ability to make good relationships with others
- Ability to work flexible and unsocial hours (e.g. on rota for weekends/public holidays - late shifts periodically at times of high workload).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Evidence of good general level of education required
- Literate and numerate to the degree required for job description tasks (usually reading, writing, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and simple calculations)
- Good IT skills Excel/Word. Be able to learn and use the inventory computer systems
- Ability to carry out instructions and recall.
Desirable
- Having attained or working towards ECDL - F syllabus 4.0 units 1,2,3,6 & 7 (ITQ)
- NVQ2 Customer Services or Warehousing and Distribution
- NVQ Pharmacy Services or working towards. (Mandatory to undertake NQV 2 for this role upon successful recruitment)
Experience
Essential
- Work experience in pharmacy
- Experience of working in a customer focused environment
- Interpersonal skills
Desirable
- Knowledge and Experience of Good Distribution Practice
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of Materials Management
- Knowledge of Inventory Management
Desirable
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Skills
Essential
- Good verbal communication
- Good written communication
- Good interpersonal skills
- Organised
- Excellent Attention to detail
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- Ability to work alone and as part of a team, and make decisions commensurate with Responsibilities of the role.
- Able to respond to change and apply new developments without difficulty
- Shows initiative
- Demonstrates resilience and an ability to cope under pressure commensurate with responsibilities of the post
- Receptive to priorities of the patient, carers and other staff groups
- Ability to make good relationships with others
- Ability to work flexible and unsocial hours (e.g. on rota for weekends/public holidays - late shifts periodically at times of high workload).
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).
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).