Job summary
Permanent or long-term secondment
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Chief Pharmacist to lead our pharmacy services. This is an exciting leadership role in a large acute hospital Trust with four main sites and several satellite campuses including:Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Health, Worthing Hospital, Worthing, St Richards Hospital, Chichester.
The role offers an excellent opportunity to join a Trust committed to improvement and further strengthening our pharmacy services ensuring alignment with our clinical divisions. The Trust already has robots at three of our hospital sites and ensuring that we continue to embrace technology and innovation will be a key part of the role.
Interviews are scheduled in person on 30thSeptember 2025
Stakeholder presentation is scheduled via teams on 25thSeptember 2025
Main duties of the job
The Chief Pharmacist will provide proactive and engaging leadership ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and standards. They will also lead work related to medicines optimisation, patient safety, quality assurance, risk management and pharmacy efficiency.
Demonstrating a real passion for service improvement, our new Chief Pharmacist will manage a programme of transformation ensuring that we develop a positive team culture with a shared sense of purpose and vision across all sites.
To succeed in the role, you are likely to be a Deputy Chief Pharmacist or Chief Pharmacist looking to further develop your career in one of the largest hospital Trust's in the Southeast. You will role model a transformational and inclusive leadership style and be ready to drive change and improvement at scale for the benefit of our staff and patients.
If this sounds like you, please get in touch with:
Professor Catherine Urch - Chief Medical Officer -catherine.urch@nhs.net
Dr John Laurie - Chief of Service- Clinical Support Services Division -john.laurie@nhs.net
About us
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme,for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop.We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Job description
Job responsibilities
please refer to the main job description attached
Act as the Trusts most senior expert in Medicines Optimisation, with delegated corporate responsibility from the Chief Executive, including all statutory duties.
Fulfil the duties of Superintendent Pharmacist as required by the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Provide strategic and professional leadership for all pharmacy and medicines optimisation services across the Trust and to external customers.
Ensure pharmacy services are patient-centred, safe, progressive, cost-effective, and delivered within agreed budgets by competent staff.
Lead business planning, including budget setting, developing cases of need, and resource procurement based on evaluation and evidence.
Drive continuous improvement and innovation in pharmacy services, embedding quality improvement and R&I principles.
Provide professional leadership and development support to all pharmacy staff.
Maintain accountability for audit, research, and service evaluation activities related to medicines optimisation.
Lead and manage strategic project planning for pharmacy services, assessing resource requirements and potential impact across the Trust.
Oversee pharmaceutical education delivery, ensuring alignment with educational contracts and standards.
Positively influence stakeholders to achieve high standards in medicines optimisation across the organisation.
Lead on business planning, formulating cases of need and submitting bids for procurement of additional resources based on evaluation, research, quotations and established contracts.
Lead on the strategic planning of the pharmacy departments projects, identifying potential impacts on the Trust and wider organisations, resource requirements and building in contingency and adjustments as necessary
Appraise and evaluate service delivery and role development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
please refer to the main job description attached
Act as the Trusts most senior expert in Medicines Optimisation, with delegated corporate responsibility from the Chief Executive, including all statutory duties.
Fulfil the duties of Superintendent Pharmacist as required by the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Provide strategic and professional leadership for all pharmacy and medicines optimisation services across the Trust and to external customers.
Ensure pharmacy services are patient-centred, safe, progressive, cost-effective, and delivered within agreed budgets by competent staff.
Lead business planning, including budget setting, developing cases of need, and resource procurement based on evaluation and evidence.
Drive continuous improvement and innovation in pharmacy services, embedding quality improvement and R&I principles.
Provide professional leadership and development support to all pharmacy staff.
Maintain accountability for audit, research, and service evaluation activities related to medicines optimisation.
Lead and manage strategic project planning for pharmacy services, assessing resource requirements and potential impact across the Trust.
Oversee pharmaceutical education delivery, ensuring alignment with educational contracts and standards.
Positively influence stakeholders to achieve high standards in medicines optimisation across the organisation.
Lead on business planning, formulating cases of need and submitting bids for procurement of additional resources based on evaluation, research, quotations and established contracts.
Lead on the strategic planning of the pharmacy departments projects, identifying potential impacts on the Trust and wider organisations, resource requirements and building in contingency and adjustments as necessary
Appraise and evaluate service delivery and role development.
Person Specification
Experience & Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
- General Pharmaceutical Council. Membership of the RPSGB.
- Evidence of recent and relevant continuous professional development
- Clinical Leadership & Extensive senior level pharmacy leadership and managerial experience within an acute NHS Trust (or comparatively large and complex multi-disciplinary organisation).
- Significant recent experience in organising and managing clinical, technical and patient pharmacy services
- Significant experience of delivering advanced level clinical pharmacy services to a specialist area.
- Evidence of undertaking clinical audit and contributing to research programmes / studies and quality improvement.
- A strong understanding of, and experience of managing and responding to, Medicine Guidance Notes, MHRA Alerts, NHS Improvement, PSIRF investigations, etc.
- A strong understanding of the EU Clinical Trial Directive, Good Manufacturing Practice and other relevant guidance.
- A strong understanding of clinical / risk management guidance as it is applied to Medicines Optimisation, including legal / coroners' context.
Desirable
- Research Methodology Training Leadership or Management qualification relevant to the NHS at Diploma or Masters level Post-graduate qualification relevant to hospital pharmacy practice. Significant and recent senior experience (within the last 5 years) as either a Chief Pharmacist in a teaching hospital or a district general hospital or a Deputy Chief Pharmacist in a teaching hospital.
Please refer to the job description for the full person specifications relating to other specifics.
Essential
- Refer to Job description for full specification
Person Specification
Experience & Qualifications
Essential
- Masters level degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
- General Pharmaceutical Council. Membership of the RPSGB.
- Evidence of recent and relevant continuous professional development
- Clinical Leadership & Extensive senior level pharmacy leadership and managerial experience within an acute NHS Trust (or comparatively large and complex multi-disciplinary organisation).
- Significant recent experience in organising and managing clinical, technical and patient pharmacy services
- Significant experience of delivering advanced level clinical pharmacy services to a specialist area.
- Evidence of undertaking clinical audit and contributing to research programmes / studies and quality improvement.
- A strong understanding of, and experience of managing and responding to, Medicine Guidance Notes, MHRA Alerts, NHS Improvement, PSIRF investigations, etc.
- A strong understanding of the EU Clinical Trial Directive, Good Manufacturing Practice and other relevant guidance.
- A strong understanding of clinical / risk management guidance as it is applied to Medicines Optimisation, including legal / coroners' context.
Desirable
- Research Methodology Training Leadership or Management qualification relevant to the NHS at Diploma or Masters level Post-graduate qualification relevant to hospital pharmacy practice. Significant and recent senior experience (within the last 5 years) as either a Chief Pharmacist in a teaching hospital or a district general hospital or a Deputy Chief Pharmacist in a teaching hospital.
Please refer to the job description for the full person specifications relating to other specifics.
Essential
- Refer to Job description for full specification
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).
