Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Head of Pharmacy - Clinical Services

The closing date is 05 February 2026

Job summary

Are you a highly motivated and experienced pharmacist with passion for Medicines Optimisation? Looking for an opportunity to lead the clinical pharmacy team to ensure safety, evidence-based practice and improve patient experience? Do you have the skills and experience to manage, motivate and inspire pharmacists and medicines management technicians? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

NSFT Pharmacy department has attracted a significant new investment to support, develop and improve our clinical pharmacy service.

A brilliant and exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and enthusiastic pharmacist to join the NSFT Pharmacy Leadership Team and lead, manage and develop the clinical services at NSFT. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our patients.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for the overall day to day management, co-ordination and development of specialist clinical pharmacy services throughout the Trust (including those areas where the service is provided under service level agreement).

To provide professional leadership and deputise for the Chief Pharmacist in the delivery of a safe, responsive, high quality and legal pharmacy service, consistent with the vision and priorities of the service.

To lead and develop the clinical pharmacy services across the Trust to deliver the Trust Medicines Optimisation Strategy and pharmacy objectives to the standards set by organisations, including the General Pharmaceutical Council, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS England, and local Integrated Care Systems.

To lead and develop clinical pharmacy services and manage the Principal Pharmacists to deliver their services in line with stakeholder requirements, Trust and pharmacy objectives.

To lead on behalf of the Chief Pharmacist/Trust on specific delegated projects, both within the Trust, and with external organisations.

To work with the Chief Pharmacist and Senior Pharmacy Team to ensure resources are utilised safely, efficiently and effectively to improve patient experience and outcomes.

To manage and build relationships with the pharmacy team, multi-disciplinary team and external stakeholders to deliver the Trust's medicines optimisation agenda and pharmacy service objectives.

About us

Some of the benefits included with this role:

  • NHS pension
  • a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
  • career progression
  • starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
  • staff physio service
  • NHS discounts and many more.

Details

Date posted

22 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year gross per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-COR7689282

Job locations

Hellesdon Hospital

Drayton High Road

Norwich

NR6 5BE


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical or Psychiatric Pharmacy or equivalent
  • Management/ leadership qualification such as Diploma in Management, Master in Business Administration, NHS or CPPE Leadership Academy

Desirable

  • Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of working within a hospital pharmacy service post qualification with associated development of excellent clinical pharmacy and governance skills
  • Experience of delivering and developing teaching/training/ education up to and including post-graduate level
  • Demonstrable experience of leading on a clinical audit plan

Desirable

  • Significant experience of working in specialist mental health inpatient and community care settings, including providing medicines information to mental health patients and the multidisciplinary team

Knowledge

Essential

  • Expert knowledge of mental health therapeutics
  • Knowledge of national and local priorities
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical or Psychiatric Pharmacy or equivalent
  • Management/ leadership qualification such as Diploma in Management, Master in Business Administration, NHS or CPPE Leadership Academy

Desirable

  • Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of working within a hospital pharmacy service post qualification with associated development of excellent clinical pharmacy and governance skills
  • Experience of delivering and developing teaching/training/ education up to and including post-graduate level
  • Demonstrable experience of leading on a clinical audit plan

Desirable

  • Significant experience of working in specialist mental health inpatient and community care settings, including providing medicines information to mental health patients and the multidisciplinary team

Knowledge

Essential

  • Expert knowledge of mental health therapeutics
  • Knowledge of national and local priorities

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Hellesdon Hospital

Drayton High Road

Norwich

NR6 5BE


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

Hellesdon Hospital

Drayton High Road

Norwich

NR6 5BE


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Chief Pharmacist

Manka Ramachandran

manka.ramachandran@nsft.nhs.uk

01603421212

Details

Date posted

22 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year gross per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-COR7689282

Job locations

Hellesdon Hospital

Drayton High Road

Norwich

NR6 5BE


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)