Specialist Quality Assurance Technician - Aseptic Services

NHS; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Carlisle seeks a Senior Aseptic Team member to oversee quality management in pharmacy services. The role involves compliance with GMP, training staff, and ensuring high standards of patient care. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in a hospital pharmacy's aseptic unit and hold relevant qualifications. The position offers both full-time and part-time contracts, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and teamwork.

Benefits

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years

Flexible working scheme

NHS discounts

Competitive NHS Pension scheme

Free confidential counselling service

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience required.
• Previous experience in Aseptic unit in hospital pharmacy.
• Proven ability to supervise and motivate staff.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Organisation and prioritisation

Effective communicator

Ability to manage change

Commitment to continuous improvement

Team player

Education

Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council

Minimum NVQ3 in Pharmacy Services

Formal technical or professional qualification

BTec Professional Development Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job summary

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 required include:

• Organisation and prioritisation
• excellent team player
• effective communicator
• 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

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.

Details

Date posted 19 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

262-A-25-7373823-A

Job locations

Cumberland Infirmary, Newtown road, Carlisle, CA2 7AG

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 UK Visas and Immigration website.

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

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:
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

Benefits offered to successful future employees:

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

Important Information

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 Essential

• 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

Desirable

• Accredited product Approver
• Formal management qualification
• PTQA post graduate diploma

Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Significant post-qualification 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

Desirable

• Management of a Pharmaceutical Quality System
• Advanced computer skills using a variety of computer programmes
• Knowledge of electronic QMS

Skills Essential

• Ability to work calmly and accurately under pressure to meet required deadlines.
• Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organisational, numeracy 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 Essential

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

Other requirements Essential

• Weekend and out of hours cover on rota

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Cumberlands Infirmary, Newtown road, Carlisle, CA2 7AG

Employer website

https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/