Job overview

Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts; the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Southeast Integrated Care Boards

The Deputy Director for Medicines Optimisation – Strategic Commissioning is a senior leader within the ICB’s CMO directorate, supporting the ICB Chief Pharmacist in delivering strategic commissioning responsibilities for medicines and pharmacy. The role is pivotal in shaping medicines commissioning strategies, pathway redesign, and system-wide transformation, aligned with the NHS 10 Year Plan. The postholder leverages data insights to inform commissioning decisions, focusing on population health, digital innovation, and outcomes-based approaches.

Main duties of the job

• Lead and deliver strategic commissioning plans, managing substantial budgets to ensure value, sustainability, and improved outcomes.
• Oversee and contract manage the commissioned/delegated Medicines Optimisation delivery unit including shaping the future direction of commissioning for neighbourhood teams with respect to medicines and prescribing.
• Provide authoritative leadership for pathway redesign, service transformation, and clinical stewardship (including but not limited to Antimicrobial Stewardship and the management of Controlled Drugs).
• Oversee financial stewardship, workforce planning, and performance management in line with ICB objectives.
• Champion stakeholder engagement, effective communication, and collaborative partnerships across the health system.
• Ensure compliance with governance, equality, safeguarding, and information standards.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to a culture that supports all staff at NHS Kent and Medway to be the best version of themselves.

Our ability to improve outcomes for our population depends on how effectively clinical, operational, financial and strategic professionals work together to make informed commissioning decisions. That’s why our workforce works a minimum of two days-a-week on-site, with the expectation that all one-to-ones are held face-to-face and that colleagues will regularly visit the services we are commissioning to understand more about them.

We believe regular on-site working supports stronger collaboration, faster problem-solving, peer learning, visible leadership and the integration of colleagues into our organisation. We also know that culture is built through shared experiences and day-to-day interactions.

We are a flexible working friendly organisation; we aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.

We work with staff to agree objectives through regular supervision, annual appraisal and access to training opportunities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity. In order to reflect the diversity of our population, we positively encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation.