Pharmacy Purchasing and Invoicing Officer

East Cheshire NHS Trust; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Job summary

East Cheshire NHS Trust in Macclesfield is seeking a Pharmacy Purchasing and Invoicing Officer (NHS AfC: Band 3) on a part-time contract (22.5 hours per week). The role sits in Pharmacy Procurement and offers a pro rata salary of £25,760 to £27,476 per annum.

You will manage ordering and invoicing, chase overdue orders, maintain stock levels, and liaise with suppliers and internal teams to ensure safe medicines supply.

Qualifications

• GCSEs A-C or equivalent.
• NVQ level 3 in relevant subject or equivalent experience.
• ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) or able to demonstrate an equivalent knowledge or experience.
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) qualification.
• Experience in purchasing/procurement and invoicing.
• Knowledge of NHS hospital pharmacy procurement processes.
• Excellent communication and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Ordering and invoicing pharmaceutical goods.
• Chasing and resolving overdue orders.
• Managing and responding to supply issues.
• Maintain accurate EDI system information, uploading updated supplier data monthly and ensuring contracts are correctly matched.
• Ensuring adequate stock levels are maintained to support safe and effective patient care.
• Respond to urgent medicine requests and liaise with suppliers and NHS hospitals as required.

Skills

Prioritisation & deadlines

Communication skills

Computer literacy

Problem solving

Teamwork

Spreadsheets & databases

NHS hospital pharmacy software

Education

GCSEs A-C or equivalent

NVQ level 3 in relevant subject

ECDL or equivalent

CIPS qualification

Job description

Pharmacy Purchasing and Invoicing Officer

NHS AfC: Band 3

Main area Pharmacy Procurement Officer Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week Job ref 209-A-26-8329771

Site Macclesfield District Town Victoria Road, Macclesfield Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum, pro rata (subject to job matching) Salary period Yearly Closing 11/11/2026 23:59

It is all about the people at East Cheshire NHS Trust. We have a real sense of community, and our values are truly embedded into everything we do, ensuring we are a great and inclusive place to work. You will be supported, developed and empowered throughout your career with us. Come and join us, where you can play your part in helping us deliver outstanding care and improving the health of all the people we serve.

Job overview

Subject to job matching

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our Pharmacy Procurement team.

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of afriendly, supportive and dedicated team, delivering a high-quality pharmacy procurement service within the Trust.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Methodical, reliable and highly organised
• Able to pay close attention to detail
• A strong team player with good communication skills
• Enthusiastic, motivated and committed to patient safety
• Proficient in working practices associated with NHS hospital pharmacy

You will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including suppliers, finance team, Shared Business Services (SBS), ward staff, pharmacy colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives and the Medicines Procurement and Supply Chain team, to ensure the efficient and timely supply of medicines.

Applicants holding overseas qualifications must provide a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability to confirm that your qualifications meet the essential GCSE requirements for this post.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for a range of procurement and stock management duties, including:

• Ordering and invoicing pharmaceutical goods
• Chasing and resolving overdue orders
• Managing and responding to supply issues
• Maintain accurate EDI system information, uploading updated supplier data monthly and ensuring contracts are correctly matched
• Ensuring adequate stock levels are maintained to support safe and effective patient care
• Respond to urgent medicine requestsliaising with suppliers and other NHS hospitals as required. Useeffective and persuasive communication skills to secure supply and negotiate delivery arrangements and charges for urgent orders.
• Using own judgement, communicate out‑of‑stock items to pharmacy and other healthcare staff where there is a potential impact on patient care.

You must be able to work under pressure, adapt to changing priorities, and demonstrate effective problem‑solving skills, particularly when dealing with medicine supply challenges.

Please note that Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is not available for this post.

For Graduate visa holders; it is important to note that you must have a minimum of 12 months before this expires at the start of your employment for training and operational reasons.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to providing the best quality integrated care to our patients. To achieve this aim we need highly motivated staff who are united by common values and behaviours.

We believe our workforce is our greatest asset and we actively support our staff to develop their capabilities to the full, with a variety of learning and development opportunities.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or are looking to use your skills and experience in a new role, East Cheshire NHS Trust is the right employer for you. We look forward to you joining us so that we can bring out your best.

Please be aware that this post requires aStandard DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, the cost of which is payable by the successful candidate. If you have lived or worked abroad for 6 months or more in the last 5 years you will need to obtain an overseas police clearance. Further information can be found on the additional information links at the bottom of the advert.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please read the attached Applicant Pack prior to completing your application form to find out more information.

Please download a copy of the Job Description and Person Specification located under the Supporting documents heading to read more about the advertised role.

As part of making your application we encourage you to review the Trusts Careers webpage Careers :: East Cheshire NHS Trust for more information about working for East Cheshire NHS Trust.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. The Trust is a Disability Confident Leader and as such, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification).

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application. While this is not discouraged, it is essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section as these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process and being a member of East Cheshire NHS Trust.

Applicants are advised to apply early as we reserve the right to close the advert prior to the advertised closing date should we receive a large number of applications.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Person specification

Qualifications

• 5 GCSE’s A-C or equivalent
• NVQ (National Vocational Qualifications) level 3 in relevant subject or equivalent experience
• ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) or able to demonstrate an equivalent knowledge or experience
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) qualification

Knowledge

• Understanding of the need for CPD (Continuing Professional Development)
• Ordering and invoicing processes and stock control
• Knowledge of NHS hospital pharmacy procurement processes

Skills

• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines whilst paying attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Good computer skills and experience
• Ability to proactively problem solve and monitor progress
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Experience using spreadsheets and databases
• Experience using NHS hospital pharmacy software

Experience

• Purchasing/procurement experience and expertise in placing orders/invoicing.
• Working knowledge of systems controlling purchasing e.g. electronic data interchange and ability to resolve difficulties that occur in this area.
• Customer Service experience
• NHS Assistant Technical Officer experience
• NHS hospital experience

Further Information

• Please provide any additional relevant information to support your application. Please note that this is a non-scoring question.

Other Role Requirements

• Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for further role requirements.

Please read the guidance for applicants and completing the application form documents prior to completing your application form (documents are located below).

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. The Trust is a Disability Confident Leader and as such, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). In order to facilitate applications from all members of the community the Trust is able to offer services including Braille Applications and Interpreting Services.

The Trust may close any advertised post before the stated closing date. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible.

If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the advert closing date, regretfully you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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 (Amendement) (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 Lisa Brookes Job title Service Lead Pharmacy Technician Procurement Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01625 663043