Job summary
The principal pharmacist clinical adviser role sits within the clinical directorate. The purpose of the clinical directorate is to strengthen clinical leadership throughout NICE and ensure end-to-end clinical oversight of, and support to, all areas of NICE activity. It also enhances the external credibility of NICE and promotes more effective stakeholder engagement.
The core task of the directorate in support of NICE's strategic direction is todevelop and deliver an organisation-wide topic selection and prioritisationprocess that identifies and prioritises what has the greatest impact on people and the health and care system.
The directorate is also responsible for ensuring that the clinical requirements of NICE are anticipated and met in a dynamic way that is responsive to changing need.We are a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of health and care professionals,and highly skilled technical people.
Interviews will be in person in our Manchester office on Thursday 5 June 2025
Main duties of the job
The principal pharmacist clinical adviser plays a key role in supporting the safe and effective use of medicines across the NHS and care system to improve the care of people and deliver best value to the taxpayer. This is done by leading, overseeing and delivering programmes of work and projects providing specific, technical, clinical and medicines advice and by sharing medicines system intelligence and insights gathered from the health and care system to support implementation of evidence-based medicine into practice.
The principal pharmacist clinical adviser role includes:
- overseeing, leading and contributing to high-profile programmes and projects, for example, technology appraisal incorporation, guideline development, the NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associate community of practice, patient safety and the British National Formulary contractual oversight.
- building and maintaining relationships with NICE Associates (and their networks, including NICE Affiliates).
- supporting implementation of medicines optimisation related NICE guidance in practice, by developing identified NICE priority topic implementation tools and resources for use by practitioners in the health and care system.
- leading and managing pharmacist clinical advisers who offer expertise, knowledge and advice on medicines optimisation and implementation issues within NICE.
About us
The Medicines Optimisation team sits within the Clinical Directorate and provides expert advice across NICE to support the NHS in embedding safe, effective, and innovative medicines use for the benefit of patients and the public.
We contribute to guidance development, quality assurance, and the creation of implementation tools and resources, combining expert input with medicines intelligence gathered from the health and care system.
Our work is highly collaborative. We engage with internal teams such as the Centre for Guidelines, Medicines Evaluation Directorate, and the Impact and Partnerships Directorate, as well as with national stakeholders and front-line practitioners, including the NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associates.
We also offer operational, administrative, and project management support to ensure the planning, production, and delivery of all medicines optimisation work meets NICE standards and processes.
We're proud to offer a supportive, inclusive working environment with excellent benefits, including:
- Generous NHS Pension - One of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK.
- Time to Recharge - 27 days' annual leave, plus Bank Holidays.
- Flexible Working - Options like remote working, compressed hours, and flexible start/finish times.
- Inclusive Staff Networks - Join communities such as Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, and Disability Advocacy.
If this sounds like a place where you'd thrive, we'd love to hear from you!
Job description
Job responsibilities
The principal pharmacist clinical adviser provides ongoing leadership and support to the NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associate community of practice. NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associates are people whose work involves influencing medicines optimisation and prescribing strategy in the NHS.
To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.
Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The principal pharmacist clinical adviser provides ongoing leadership and support to the NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associate community of practice. NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associates are people whose work involves influencing medicines optimisation and prescribing strategy in the NHS.
To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.
Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the GPhC.
Experience
Essential
- Working with a wide range of individuals, stakeholders and organisations across a variety of healthcare settings, ideally in a patient facing role and in the NHS.
Experience
Essential
- Taking responsibility for programmes and projects with minimal supervision, including overseeing, coordinating and managing multiple, complex projects to ensure delivery against the business plan and KPIs.
Experience
Essential
- Developing and managing groups or networks of healthcare professionals to support service improvement.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to communicate confidently and engage effectively with a range of colleagues to generate trust and confidence in individuals at all levels both within and external to NICE and across multidisciplinary teams.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
- Thorough attention to detail and high standards of accuracy.
Skills/Knowledge
Desirable
- Specialist knowledge underpinned by relevant practical experience, in the field of implementation science and/or change management.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the GPhC.
Experience
Essential
- Working with a wide range of individuals, stakeholders and organisations across a variety of healthcare settings, ideally in a patient facing role and in the NHS.
Experience
Essential
- Taking responsibility for programmes and projects with minimal supervision, including overseeing, coordinating and managing multiple, complex projects to ensure delivery against the business plan and KPIs.
Experience
Essential
- Developing and managing groups or networks of healthcare professionals to support service improvement.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to communicate confidently and engage effectively with a range of colleagues to generate trust and confidence in individuals at all levels both within and external to NICE and across multidisciplinary teams.
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
- Thorough attention to detail and high standards of accuracy.
Skills/Knowledge
Desirable
- Specialist knowledge underpinned by relevant practical experience, in the field of implementation science and/or change management.
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).
