Head of Pharmaceutical Operations

Cantourage UK; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A medical cannabis company is seeking an experienced Operations Leader to oversee its pharmaceutical distribution unit. This role involves driving operational efficiencies, managing P&L, and collaborating across departments to support business growth. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in UK pharmaceutical distribution, strong leadership skills, and a passion for the medical cannabis industry. Competitive salary and benefits offered.

Benefits

36 days annual leave

Discretionary annual bonus

Comprehensive private medical insurance

ClassPass Membership

Cycle-to-Work Scheme

Qualifications

• 4–6 years leading UK pharmaceutical distribution under GDP with direct accountability for inspections.
• Experience in leading computerised systems validation project delivery.
• Proven leadership of multi-functional operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational execution of pharmaceutical distribution unit.
• Drive end-to-end process optimisation and systems integration.
• Collaborate with teams to eliminate operational inefficiencies.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Project management

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Economics

Tools

Computerised systems

Job description

Location: Shoreditch, London

Working Structure: Office based (Thursdays we work from home)

Reports to: Operations Director

Salary: £60,000 - £80,000

Who are we?

Since cannabis was legalised for medical use in the UK back in 2018, Cantourage UK has been as the forefront of building an ecosystem to service patients and businesses across this rapidly-growing space. In doing so, we have secured a variety of pharmaceutical licenses for import/wholesale/export activities (regulated by the Home Office and MHRA) as well as a tele-health clinic license (regulated by the CQC). Zooming out, we are part of the Cantourage Group with dreams to become the leading pan-European operator in the medical cannabis industry.

If our clinic is the heart, our pharmaceutical operations is the brain. It powers the entire engine and makes the medical cannabis industry a reality.

With a solid foundation in both clinical care and wholesale supply, Cantourage UK is very much ready to shape the future of medical cannabis within the UK.

What’s the purpose of the role?

You will assume full operational leadership of Cantourage UK’s pharmaceutical distribution unit. Reporting directly to the Operations Director, you will own end-to-end execution while partnering with Product, Engineering, Growth, Legal and Clinic teams to drive efficiencies across the ecosystem and ensure we are in a position to support the industry as it grows to one million patients.

This is a senior leadership position with joint accountability (with the OD) for cost-side P&L - budgets, headcount, third-party logistics expenditure and operational efficiency.

What impact will you create?

Executive Enablement

• Relieve the OD of day-to-day operational oversight, enabling strategic focus on growth and capital initiatives.
• Deliver concise, data-backed updates on UK Pharma Ops performance.

Wholesale - Clinic Integration

• Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering to design, validate, and deploy digital products that eliminate regulatory inefficiencies, provide real-time visibility across the ecosystem and sets us ahead of the competition curve.
• Eliminate manual hand-offs and reduce order-to-dispatch latency across the supply chain.

Operational Excellence & Automation

• Drive end-to-end process optimisation, SKU-level validation and systems integration to to achieve an error/deviation rate of <0.1% of orders processed.
• Embed predictive tools (including AI-driven demand forecasting) within ERP to prevent stock-outs and overages.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, coach, and performance-manage a multi-disciplinary team spanning quality, orders & procurement.
• Execute internal promotions, strategic hires, and succession plans to position Cantourage UK as the employer of choice.

Regulatory & Audit Leadership

• Maintain perpetual audit readiness for MHRA and Home Office inspections.
• Oversee CAPA programmes, risk-based QMS enhancements and continuous improvement cycles that reduce non-conformances year-on-year.

Capacity Planning & Third-Party Logistics Governance

• Develop and maintain a dynamic capacity model that scales activity without proportional cost increase.
• Own relevant third-party relationships and service providers, oversee the performance monitoring programme and act as the primary point of escalation to maintain overall effectiveness.

Cost-Side P&L Accountability

• Jointly own (with the OD) all operational expenditure: headcount, third-party logistics contracts, facilities and technology.
• Deliver measurable efficiency gains while preserving service levels and compliance.

What will you bring to the table?

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Economics, or related field
• 4–6 years leading UK pharmaceutical distribution under GDP, with direct accountability for MHRA/Home Office inspections
• Proven leadership of multi-functional operations teams across compliance, logistics and systems/analytics beliefs
• Experience in leading computerised systems validation (CSV) project delivery with development teams
• Track record of cross-functional collaboration with Product/Engineering to launch regulated digital workflows
• Exceptional stakeholder communication - from bottom line to Board level

If you possess the following, this would certainly be advantageous:

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience
• Experience collaborating with senior compliance roles (such as a Responsible Person and Quality Controller) to innovate licensed activities
• Schedule 2 Controlled Drugs and unlicensed specials end-to-end handling
• Home Office import/export licensing management
• Scale-up experience
• AI/ML deployment in GxP environments
• Passion for medical cannabis evidenced through prior operational or advocacy contributions

Who wouldn’t thrive in this role?

• Someone who is quick to place blame when something goes wrong.
• Someone who thinks “product collaboration” means firing off a spec and waiting.
• Someone who can’t differentiate the need to move quickly vs needing a robust approval process.
• Someone who believes speed and compliance can’t share the same postcode.
• Someone who doesn’t believe in 10x.

What do we offer?

📅 36 days annual leave (which includes your birthday and public holidays)

💰 Discretionary annual bonus

🏥 Comprehensive private medical insurance

🏋️ ClassPass Membership (great for gyms, fitness classes, yoga, massages & more!)

🚲 Cycle-to-Work Scheme

🏆 Growth Guru Mentorship Scheme

Equal opportunity declaration:

Cantourage UK is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.