Pharmacy Manager: Technical Services

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Poole; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust in Poole (base Poole Hospital, with occasional work at Royal Bournemouth Hospital) seeks an experienced Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician to lead the aseptic services within the cancer care pathway. You will oversee a unit producing parenteral chemotherapy, ATMPs and monoclonal antibodies, ensuring compliance and safety.

The post requires registration with the GPhC and substantial experience in pharmacy aseptic services, with strong knowledge of

Qualifications

• PGDip Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance (or equivalent) required.
• Extensive experience in pharmacy aseptic services is essential.
• Registration as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) required.
• Leadership or project management qualification or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience of quality assurance in an aseptic/manufacturing unit.
• Experience with electronic worksheet systems and/or electronic chemotherapy prescribing systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop UHD’s aseptic services; ensure high quality, compliant practice.
• Jointly manage the aseptic unit handling parenteral chemotherapy, ATMPs and monoclonal antibodies (approx. 25,000 items/year).
• Act as trust accountable Section 10 pharmacist or recognise role for a pharmacist/technician when changes in legislation allow.

Education

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

Experience with electronic worksheet systems and/or electronic chemotherapy prescribing systems

Job description

As 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

Are you passionate about hospital pharmacy aseptic services? Do you want to make a real difference to cancer patients by ensuring the highest quality and safest chemotherapy agents are produced? This may be the opportunity you've been waiting for.

Due to planned retirement we are looking for a new accountable pharmacist or pharmacy technician (when changes in legislation come into effect) to lead and develop our highly regarded aseptic technical service across University Hospitals Dorset (UHD). Our aseptic service is at the heart of cancer care providing essential parenteral chemotherapy, clinical trials and monoclonal antibodies. Our unit consists of an aseptic suite at Poole Hospital and has a dedicated staff of over 30 including pharmacists, technicians, assistants and science manufacturing technicians.

We are looking for an individual with passion, experience and drive to help shape the exciting provision of aseptic services at UHD. To be considered you must be a registered pharmacist or pharmacy technician with a wealth of experience in pharmacy aseptic services. Candidates will be expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the latest regulatory controls and quality assurances for section 10 compounding units.

This role requires registration as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council

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

Interview date - Friday, 18th September 2026

Main duties of the job

You will be supported in the role by a well established pharmacy leadership team, expert clinical pharmacists in cancer services (including 2 consultant cancer pharmacists in training), an experienced technical team and a cancer directorate who truly value aseptic services.

This post is responsible and accountable for the management of the pharmacy aseptic services across University Hospitals Dorset. The unit prepares 25,000 medicine items per year consisting of parenteral chemotherapy (30% RTAs, 70% produced in house), ATMPs and monoclonal antibodies. The unit produces and dispenses medication under Section 10 exemption of The Medicines Act and is subject to external and internal quality assurance processes.

The post-holder will be the trust accountable Section 10 pharmacist or pharmacy technician (when changes in legislation allow) leading on all technical aspects of the pharmacy aseptic services. Key relationships will be with the Quality Assurance Team, wider pharmacy leadership team, Pharmacy Cancer Clinical Leads, Research and Development and the trust Cancer directorates.

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.

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

You must be registered as a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to be considered for this post

We are looking for an individual with a wealth of experience working in pharmacy aseptic services and an in-depth knowledge of the latest regulatory controls and quality assurances for section 10 compounding units.

Please kindly see the Job description and Person Specification attached in regard to the role and responsibilities of the post holder.

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