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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy Aseptics
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8c
Contract
Secondment: 13 months (until 31 October 2026)
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
990-MED-15993-E
Employer
NHS England
Employer type
NHS
Site
Any NHSE Office
Town
Nationally
Salary
£76,965 - £88,682 per annum (exclusive of London Weighting)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

NHS England logo

Specialist Advisor to the Infusions and Special Medicines Programme

NHS AfC: Band 8c

Our Organisation

The NHS is building a culture that is positive, compassionate and inclusive – and we all have our part to play.

As employers we are committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our colleagues. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution and supports us to be an Employer of Choice, while helping our colleagues to deliver high quality services for our patients and communities.

As a flexible employer, we want to support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

We are an accredited Living Wage Employer which means that every colleague working for our organisation and third-party contractors will earn a real Living Wage.  We are one of over 15,000 organisations, who voluntarily chose to pay the real Living Wage.

Job overview

The Hospital Pharmacy Modernisation Team works under the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer to set the strategic direction for the future of NHS hospital pharmacy in England, and to implement transformation programmes and improvement projects. We are seeking a specialist advisor for the Infusions and Special Medicines (ISM) Programme which is working to transform pharmacy aseptic services across England.  

This is a full-time temporary secondment until the end of October 2026. Part-time and other flexible working arrangements will be available, including hours and location.

As an established expert and leader in aseptic medicines and services, the Specialist Advisor has a highly influential role in shaping the future of aseptic medicines production for the NHS. They are a key member of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s professional leadership team, closely supported by the Hospital Pharmacy Modernisation Lead, the Head of the ISM Programme and other members of the small, friendly team.

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities include:

  • Leading the ISM programme’s standardisation and digital and innovation workstreams and providing leadership and guidance across all aspects of the programme.
  • Working with multiple internal and external stakeholders to enable and support delivery of programme objectives.
  • Reporting and communicating strategy and progress to internal and external stakeholders and forums, including within formal meetings and reports, and at national/regional events.
  • Maintaining effective governance within the programme.

The successful candidate will be a registered pharmacy professional or clinical pharmaceutical scientist able to demonstrate extensive experience in hospital pharmacy aseptic services at senior level, with a track record of delivering successful improvement projects.  They will have experience of working across organisational boundaries and have good understanding of relevant NHS policy and structure and legal and regulatory requirements.

We require an authentic, compassionate and inclusive leader with credibility and ability to influence at national level.

Working for our organisation

The NHS England board have set out the top-level purpose for the new organisation to lead the NHS in England to deliver high-quality services for all, which will inform the detailed design work and we will achieve this purpose by:

  • Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
  • Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
  • Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
  • Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
  • Delivering value for money.

If you would like to know more or require further information, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

If you are successful at interview, we will run an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) in the Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). This transfer gathers valuable information from a previous or current NHS employer to support the onboarding process, including; statutory and mandatory competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement.  You will have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to inform us if you do not consent.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please note the job title is different for advertising purposes, the job title as detailed on any contractual paperwork will be Head of Aseptic Medicine Professional Lead HPMT.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician or with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Pharmaceutical Scientist
  • Postgraduate management and/or specialist qualification or equivalent level of experience

Knowledge & experience

Essential criteria
  • Specialist skills, knowledge and experience regarding the management and preparation of aseptic medicines, with credibility as an experienced aseptic medicines practitioner and leader
  • Experience of developing evidence-based interventions, managing complex change programmes with multiple stakeholders and delivering them within agreed timescales and budgets
  • Understanding the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this
  • Experience of leadership, management and supporting diverse and matrix working teams
Desirable criteria
  • Membership of specialist professional groups involved in using aseptic medicines, procurement or commissioning of sterile injectable medicines

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Able to work at scale and pace in a complex and changing environment, working proactively and efficiently across a number of projects
  • Able to draw and analyse complex qualitative and quantitative information from a range of sources and present it in a clear and concise way
  • Able to negotiate and take decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action and challenge
  • Able to think strategically and plan over the short, medium and long- term altering plans to fit with the rapidly changing environment and anticipating and resolving problems
  • Excellent stakeholder management skills, building effective relationships with partners to achieve objectives

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria
  • Understands and values diversity and inclusion and committed to equity of opportunity
  • Focused on quality, promotes high standards and appreciates the impact of their role on patients and the public

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident committedStep into healthAccredited Living Wage Employer

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sue Ladds
Job title
Hospital Pharmacy Modernisation lead
Email address
[email protected]
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