Head of Aseptic Services

University Hospitals Dorset; Poole; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

University Hospitals Dorset is seeking an experienced aseptic services leader to take responsibility for our established service and shape what comes next.

As Head of Aseptic Services you will have overall accountability for service delivery across pharmacy technical services, ensuring quality, safety and professional standards. This role offers relocation support and base location at Poole Hospital with occasional work at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Qualifications

• PGDip Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience in pharmacy aseptic services.
• Registered Pharmacist with GPhC.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across aseptic services and QA.
• Lead inspection readiness and responses to audits, incidents and non-compliance.
• Develop capacity, supply and business continuity plans and drive service development.

Skills

Leadership

GMP knowledge

Pharmacy aseptic services

Education

PGDip Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance

Registered Pharmacist

Tools

Electronic worksheet systems

Electronic chemotherapy prescribing systems

Job description

NHS AfC: Band 8c (subject to UHD job evaluation)

Main area Pharmacy Aseptic Services Grade NHS AfC: Band 8c (subject to UHD job evaluation) Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Job share
• Flexible working
• Compressed hours

37.5 sessions per week Job ref 153-SP06314-C

Department name 01. UHD - General Recruitment Site Poole Hospital Pharmacy Aseptics Town Poole Salary £79,504 - £91,609 pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 01/11/2026 23:59

University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

This is not just about running an aseptic unit. It is about ensuring some of our most complex medicines reach patients safely.

Following a planned retirement, University Hospitals Dorset has a rare opportunity for an experienced aseptic services leader to take responsibility for our established service and help shape what comes next.

Our aseptic unit prepares more than 25,000 medicine items each year, including chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies, and supports medicines used within clinical trials.

As our Head of Aseptic Services, you will hold overall accountability for service delivery and operational oversight across pharmacy technical services. You will provide the specialist leadership and assurance needed to maintain the quality, safety and professional standards on which our patients and clinical teams depend.

This is a role with significant professional responsibility, but also significant opportunity. We are looking for someone with the technical credibility, leadership and ambition to develop our people, drive improvement and shape the future direction of aseptic services at UHD.

Relocation expenses will be available for this role in line with Trust policies and subject to internal review.

Base location - Poole Hospital but with occasionally working at Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Advert closes: 1st November 2026

Shortlisting: w/c 2nd November 2026

Interview date: 14th November 2026

Main duties of the job

The quality. The complexity. The opportunity.

You will provide strategic leadership across aseptic services and pharmacy quality assurance, leading the development and continuous improvement of our Pharmaceutical Quality System and ensuring our service continues to meet the required standards.

You will lead inspection readiness, oversee responses to audits, incidents and areas of non-compliance, and ensure our facilities, equipment, systems and working practices support safe and effective service delivery.

But maintaining today's standards is only part of the role.

You will lead service development and improvement, exploring new technologies, equipment and service models and developing capacity, supply and business continuity plans. You will contribute to regional and system-wide work exploring the future of aseptic services and play an important role in our digital transformation.

Working across professional boundaries, you will provide expert advice, manage complex risks and lead and develop our multidisciplinary aseptic workforce.

When standards matter, you will be the person accountable for ensuring they are right.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Dorset

Based on the beautiful south coast of England UHD serves a population of more than 800,000 across Dorset and South Wiltshire. The trust comprises of three hospitals Poole, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals and is one of the largest hospital trusts in the South West.

Our flagship Dorset Cancer Centre, offers medical and clinical oncology services for the whole of Dorset and the pharmacy aseptic service is a key part of this critical service.

The trust is undergoing a major transformation following £500m investment in the local health services including a new emergency centre, new theatres, new children and cancer services. It's an exciting time at UHD and we would love you to join our growing team of over 9,000 staff.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Senior leadership that expects more.

Reporting to the Chief Pharmacist, you will be an active member of the pharmacy senior leadership team, contributing to strategy and change across the wider service.

You will work closely with Quality Assurance, Pharmacy Cancer Clinical Leads, Research and Development, cancer services and clinical, nursing, Estates and regional colleagues. You will provide expert technical and pharmaceutical advice, influence complex decisions and ensure aseptic requirements are considered as treatments and services develop.

You will provide leadership for workforce planning, recruitment, development, competence and performance, building the capability needed to meet future service demands.

We are looking for someone with extensive hospital pharmacy technical services experience, senior experience within an aseptic manufacturing unit and expert knowledge of GMP and aseptic preparation. You will combine technical expertise with sound judgement, strong influencing skills and the ability to turn complex problems into practical solutions.

Applicants must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician.

Person specification

• PGDip Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience in pharmacy aseptic services
• Registered Pharmacist
• Leadership or project management qualification or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience of quality assurance in an aseptic or manufacturing unit
• Previous experience with a range of electronic worksheet systems and / or electronic chemotherapy prescribing systems

Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of section 10 legislation demonstrated

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Stephen Bleakley Job title Chief Pharmacist Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0300 0194097 Additional information

Informal discussions about the role or visits to see the aseptic team in action are very welcome.