Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent: Late nights, weekend, On-Call
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 370-CSS8BPHA-1470
- Employer
- North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Warrington, Halton, Community
- Town
- Warrington
- Salary
- £66,582 - £77,368 PA
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/06/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 29/06/2026
Employer heading
Principal Pharmacist Medicines Optimisation & Governance
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Job overview
The Principal Pharmacist – Medicines Optimisation & Governance provides strategic leadership for medicines optimisation, safety, governance, and digital pharmacy services across the Trust.
Working as part of the senior pharmacy leadership team, the postholder oversees the safe and effective delivery of clinical pharmacy services, leads medicines safety and governance initiatives, and drives innovation.
They are responsible for ensuring high-quality, cost-effective use of medicines, managing risk, supporting workforce development, and providing expert pharmaceutical guidance to multidisciplinary teams while maintaining a clinical role, including prescribing where appropriate.
Main duties of the job
As a senior member of the Pharmacy Leadership Team, you will:
- Lead the strategic development and delivery of medicines optimisation, medicines safety, governance
- Provide expert professional leadership and advice across the Trust
- Oversee medication safety initiatives and manage the Medication Safety Officer function
- Lead on EPMA, digital pharmacy developments, and formulary management
- Act as professional secretary to the Medicines Governance Committee, ensuring robust governance and decision-making
- Drive cost-effective prescribing, financial stewardship, and medicines optimisation programmes
- Manage and support senior pharmacy staff, fostering a high-performing, innovative team culture
- Contribute to Trust-wide strategy, policy development, and service transformation
You will also maintain a clinical presence and play a key role in ensuring safe, effective pharmaceutical care across wards and services.
Working for our organisation
Our mission, vision and values are at the heart of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust (NCM). They underpin everything we do and everything we aspire to be as an organisation
Our mission is to be exceptional for our patients, our communities and each other
Our vision is to be a great organisation providing excellent healthcare and opportunities to work and learn
Our approach to healthcare is founded on our four core values:
· Kind – we are caring, supporting and respectful to everyone
· Open – we are honest, transparent and open to new ways of working
· Fair – we listen, value our differences and are inclusive to all
· One team – we work well together and with our communities
We employ almost 6,500 people from more than 80 nationalities and are fully committed to being an equal, diverse and inclusive employer. Our culture and values ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and that no job applicant or employee is disadvantaged at any stage of their journey.
We are also proud to be an Armed Forces Friendly organisation and welcome applications from members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans, reservists and families.
Working at NCM means becoming part of a dedicated team of clinical and support staff who are passionate about keeping people well and supporting wellbeing. If you share our values and are motivated by making a difference for our patients, we'd be delighted to receive your application
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- 4-year Vocational Master’s Degree in Pharmacy
- Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy (or demonstrable equivalent experience)
- Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
Desirable criteria
- Non-medical prescribing qualification
- Leadership or management qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive experience as a qualified pharmacist
- Relevant supervisory/management and change management experience
- Experience of medicines Governance / medicines management work
Desirable criteria
- Experience of lecturing/giving presentations to other healthcare professionals
- Experience of peer review
- Experience in formulary updates and compliance work
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Broad knowledge and experience of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics
- Excellent management and leadership skills and able to motivate staff
- Able to critically appraise medical literature
Desirable criteria
- PSIRF (Patient Safety Incident Response Framework) trained and able to apply principles in practice
- Strong understanding of clinical governance frameworks and regulatory requirements (e.g. CQC, NICE
- Ability to develop and implement policies, SOPs, and guidelines
Employer certification / accreditation badges
.png "NHS Rainbow badge")
.png "ERS Silver Logo Welsh")
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Maloni Talbot WHH
- Job title
- Deputy Chief Pharmacist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01925662632
List jobs with North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust in Health Science Services or all sectors