Chief Pharmacist

NHS; Reading; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Berkshire seeks an experienced Chief Pharmacist to lead pharmacy services in mental health and community care. The role involves overseeing a team, managing a budget, and driving innovative medicines optimisation practices. Candidates should be registered pharmacists with significant leadership experience and expertise in NHS governance. This position offers numerous benefits, including flexible work options and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days' annual leave

Learning and career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Access to wellbeing tools

Discounts at retailers

Supportive staff networks

Free parking

Qualifications

• Substantial post-registration experience including multi-disciplinary leadership.
• Specialised knowledge of NHS governance frameworks.
• Ability to influence across complex organizations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership on medicines optimisation.
• Advise on pharmaceutical policy and practice.
• Manage pharmacy budget, procurement, and information services.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Budget management

Interpersonal skills

Mental health therapeutics

Analytical skills

Education

UK registered pharmacist

Post-graduate clinical/mental health pharmacy qualification

Job description

Are you seeking a new and exciting leadership challenge in pharmacy?

Do you want to join a team committed to delivering cutting-edge pharmacy services and practices with high end-user satisfaction?

We're looking for an experienced aspiring Chief Pharmacist to join our forward-thinking Trust. We've a quality improvement culture, "better never stops" is at the heart of everything we do.Berkshire Healthcare is a CQC Outstanding trust and a Global Digital Exemplar. We are proud to be one of only eight trusts nominated as an Advanced Trust, ranked third nationally among Mental Health & Community Trusts in the new NHS league tables, and have the highest score in staff surveys for staff recommending us as a great place to work.

As Chief Pharmacist for services across Berkshire in mental health, community, and primary care, you'll:

Lead a team of 47 WTE staff, managing a £3M budget

Oversee Operational Services, including medicines procurement, supply, transport, & Clozapine clinics

Lead Medicines Optimisation Services, covering safety, education & training, digital prescribing, advanced clinical pharmacy, medicines information, & governance

Work closely with acute providers, commissioners, external partners & academic collaborators

Deliver innovative, system-wide medicines optimisation enhancing patient care

If you're passionate about patient care & staff development, we'd love to welcome you to our team.

Main duties of the job

Provide strategic leadership on all aspects of medicines optimisation across the Trust.

Advise the Chief Executive, Medical Director, Trust Board, and clinical services on pharmaceutical policy and practice.

Lead pharmacy staff, including operational, clinical, and medicines information teams, ensuring high-quality service delivery.

Oversee safe and effective management of controlled drugs as the Trust's Accountable Officer.

Support the Clozapine Service, clinical trials, and implementation of NICE technology appraisals.

Develop partnerships with ICBs, acute trusts, commissioners, and academic institutions to improve system-wide prescribing.

Manage the pharmacy budget, procurement, and medicines information services, ensuring cost-effectiveness and patient safety.

Ensure clinical governance, audit, and risk management standards are met across all pharmacy services.

Drive digital innovation, quality improvement initiatives, and workforce development across the pharmacy team.

We haveidentifiedthat this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British,Blackor Black British, Mixed and 'Other' Ethnic Groups.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job responsibilities

The ideal candidate will:

Be a registered UK pharmacist with post-graduate clinical/mental health pharmacy qualification.

Have substantial post-registration experience, including multi-disciplinary leadership and service development.

Expertise in medicines optimisation, budget management, and NHS governance frameworks.

Strong strategic, analytical, and interpersonal skills with ability to influence across complex organisations.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to contact Tolu Olusoga, Medical Director, by emailing: [e-mail]. Well be delighted to help.

Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

• UK registered pharmacist
• Medicines optimisation including budget setting and management

Continuous Professional Development

• Evidence of continual professional development and compliance with GPhC CPD on-online record system

Previous Experience

• Experience of setting up new services
• Experience of negotiating and liaising with managers
• Experience of managing staff
• Experience of multi-disciplinary/partnership working
• Experience of working with clinicians
• Experience of working with range of stakeholders
• Experience of working with Mental Health/ Community Health Services organisations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Specialised knowledge of Mental Health therapeutics
• RPS Professional Standards
• Understanding of the NHS landscape Understanding of the role of NICE
• Mental Health/CHS prescribing issues in primary and secondary care
• Ability to identify and implement strategic plans and service priorities
• Ability to evaluate service provision
• Ability to organise own work and that of others
• Ability to write detailed reports - fluent, concise and accurate written skills
• Ability to operate flexibly and reliably and handle high volumes of work and meet deadlines
• Ability to absorb and convey both written and spoken information
• Critical appraisal skills
• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management Publications
• Ability to interpret Policy and its implementation
• Highly developed judgemental and analytical skills
• Excellent planning and organisation skills for programme planning
• Able to negotiate, facilitate and influence
• Able to work both independently and part of various groups and teams
• Diplomatic and assertive
• Clear logical thinker
• Disciplined personality
• Advanced keyboard skills

Personal Skills

• Physical and mental capability to handle pressure and demands of the service and ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.
• Interpersonal skills
• Conversant and competent with information technology and associated tools
• Ability to communicate information to a wide range of recipients including users and carers

Accountable Officer

• Have previous experience in the handling of CDs
• Knowledge of controlled drugs legislation
• Be familiar with organisation processes for clinical governance and performance management
• Be a senior manager with experience of clinical governance
• Be remote from current practice involving CDs (except in emergencies) including, prescribing, administering or disposing of CDs
• Be a registered pharmacist with no restrictions place upon them by their Regulatory body with regards to controlled drugs

Additional Requirements

• Car Driver
• Flexible approach to working patterns
• Professional manner
• Adaptable

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.