Specialist Quality Assurance Technician - Aseptic Services

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Carlisle is seeking a Specialist Quality Assurance Technician to support aseptic services. This role involves ensuring compliance with quality systems, training staff, and delivering high-quality patient care. Candidates must have a minimum NVQ3 in Pharmacy Services and be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. The position requires strong organizational skills, the ability to manage change, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the healthcare quality within the local community.

Benefits

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years

NHS Discounts

Salary Sacrifice schemes

Vivup confidential counselling service

Qualifications

• Demonstrate knowledge of GMP and experience in a hospital pharmacy.
• Ability to supervise, train, and motivate staff.
• Accuracy checking experience in aseptic services.

Responsibilities

• Support management of the Pharmaceutical quality system.
• Act as an accredited product approver.
• Contribute to training and supervision of staff.

Skills

Organisation and prioritisation

Excellent team player

Ability to effectively manage change

Commitment to continuous improvement

Ability to maximise team contributions

Education

Minimum NVQ3 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent

Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council

Formal technical or professional qualification

BTec Professional Development Certificate (NVQ4) in Accuracy Checking or MPharm

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Electronic Quality Management System (QMS)

Job description

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Quality Assurance Technician – Aseptic Services

The closing date is 05 January 2026

The successful candidate will contribute to the delivery and development of a high quality, patient‑centred aseptic service, including participation in, and preparation, for internal and external audits and the delivery of service improvement plans. As part of Senior Aseptic Team you will assist in the supervision and ensuring adherence to the quality management system, supporting the further development of your management and leadership skills.

Qualities and Skills

• Organisation and prioritisation
• Excellent team player
• Ability to effectively manage change
• A commitment to the continuous improvement of the service
• Ability to maximise the contributions of the whole team

The post holder will be a registrant of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and demonstrate knowledge of and experience or working in a GMP environment with suitable people management skills.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the job include supporting the management of the Pharmaceutical quality system, acting as an accredited product approver, providing pre‑process checking and accuracy checking of aseptic products ensuring compliance with GMP and the “Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services: Standards”, and any other current legal, national, regional or local guidelines pertaining to unlicensed activities, thus ensuring the highest levels of professional and technical standards are achieved.

Management and administration duties by contributing to the effective management of all available resources relating to aseptic dispensing i.e. staff, equipment and facilities.

Contributes to the supervision and training of staff and students from all disciplines in the speciality, acting as a role model.

Ensure that the organisation of services supports the delivery of the highest standards of patient care in the pursuance of the Trust's objectives. The Aseptic team is responsible for ensuring that effective systems of work are in place to ensure the safe delivery of aseptically prepared medication.

The centralised section 10 aseptic unit is responsible for preparing and dispensing 20,000 items per year with a range of products for inpatients and outpatients within the Trust. This includes chemotherapy products and monoclonal antibodies.

About us

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of ‘safe, high quality care every time’:

• Being a clinically led organisation
• Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
• A positive patient experience every time
• A great place to work
• Managing our money well

As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.

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.

The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:

• Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £5.90 = £27.40. Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one‑off payment.
• Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £5.90 = £55.40. Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one‑off payment.

Benefits

• 27‑day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
• NHS Discounts*
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*
• Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work‑related problems
• *Subject to eligibility

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Formal technical or professional qualification - minimum BTEC, City & Guilds, Apothecary Hall or equivalent
• Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Minimum NVQ3 in Pharmacy Services, or equivalent documented practical experience
• TAQA assessors award or equivalent
• BTec Professional Development Certificate (NVQ4) in Accuracy Checking or MPharm
• Accredited product Approver

Knowledge and Experience

• Previous experience in Aseptic unit in hospital pharmacy
• NVQ processes
• Managing staff and resources
• Training in a pharmacy environment
• Proven ability to supervise, train and motivate staff
• Accuracy checking experience
• Presenting data in a variety of formats
• Experience of writing standard operating procedures
• In‑depth knowledge of GMP and all areas of pharmacy technician practice
• Knowledge of NVQ processes
• Knowledge of Human Resources policies and procedure
• Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Management of a Pharmaceutical Quality System
• Advanced computer skills using a variety of computer programmes
• Knowledge of electronic QMS

Skills

• Ability to work calmly and accurately under pressure to meet required deadlines.
• Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organisational skills, numeracy skills and planning skills
• Ability to manage time, people and resources.
• Flexible
• Able to organise and prioritise workload.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to form working relationships with a wide variety of people and to work as an effective team member
• Focus for long periods of time and ability to deal with interruptions
• Committed to CPD
• Skilled within all areas of pharmacy

Personal circumstances

• Flexibility with working hours/base to meet the needs of the service and patients.

Other requirements

• Weekend and out of hours cover on rota