Director of Pharmacy
UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics
Analytics are greyed out due to low classification confidence (55.0%).
Occupation Type
Pharmacists
Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled
Sponsorship Salary Threshold
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Healthcare national pay scale applies
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Description
Director Of Pharmacy
Location: Derby, Oldbury and Chesterfield with some travel
Contract: Permanent, 37.5 Hours a week
Salary: £91,713 ( Band 8d )
Purpose Of The Role
The Director of Pharmacy is the organisation's most senior pharmaceutical leader, accountable for the strategic direction, governance, quality, and performance of all pharmacy and medicines optimisation services.
The Postholder Will Provide Executive Leadership To Ensure The Safe, Clinically Effective, And Financially Sustainable Use Of Medicines Across The Organisation. This Includes Corporate Accountability For Medicines Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Medicines Optimisation, And Pharmaceutical Risk, With Explicit Responsibility For
Key Areas Of Responsibility
Location: Derby, Oldbury and Chesterfield with some travel
Contract: Permanent, 37.5 Hours a week
Salary: £91,713 ( Band 8d )
Purpose Of The Role
The Director of Pharmacy is the organisation's most senior pharmaceutical leader, accountable for the strategic direction, governance, quality, and performance of all pharmacy and medicines optimisation services.
The Postholder Will Provide Executive Leadership To Ensure The Safe, Clinically Effective, And Financially Sustainable Use Of Medicines Across The Organisation. This Includes Corporate Accountability For Medicines Safety, Regulatory Compliance, Medicines Optimisation, And Pharmaceutical Risk, With Explicit Responsibility For
- Controlled Drugs (CD) governance and licensing compliance, including robust safe-management systems, auditability, incident response, and statutory assurance.
Key Areas Of Responsibility
Regulatory & Professional Standards
- Support the Head of Clinical Delivery in maintaining continuous regulatory readiness, including CQC inspections and follow-up actions.
- Ensure clinical practice aligns with professional codes, national guidance, and NHS Pathways licence requirements.
- Hold corporate accountability for medicines safety and pharmaceutical governance, including incident learning, investigation oversight, and system improvement.
- Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements (including GPhC standards and MHRA requirements where relevant).
- Lead medication safety, risk reduction, and quality improvement initiatives across services.
- Act as the organisation's Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer (CDAO) where designated or provide executive leadership and assurance to the appointed CDAO function, ensuring statutory duties are discharged effectively.
- Ensure end-to-end CD governance: SOP framework, procurement/ordering controls, secure storage and safe custody arrangements, CD registers and recordkeeping, stock balance checks, disposal/destruction processes, and discrepancy management.
Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA) And Supply Chain Assurance
- Provide executive accountability for organisational compliance with WDA licence conditions and MHRA GDP expectations, ensuring governance, resources, and oversight are sufficient for safe wholesale activity.
- Ensure robust arrangements are in place for a fit-for-purpose GDP Quality Management System (QMS), including SOP control, deviation/CAPA, change control, risk management, self-inspection, training competence, and supplier/customer qualification.
- Ensure effective appointment, support, and assurance of the Responsible Person (RP) function (including training and role clarity), with appropriate governance visibility and escalation routes.
- Maintain inspection readiness: audit schedules, evidence packs, management review cadence, and demonstrable control of outsourced/third-party logistics where used.
Operational and Service Leadership
- Provide executive oversight of pharmacy service delivery and performance across sites and service lines.
- Ensure pharmacy services are safe, efficient, responsive, and resilient, with appropriate business continuity and capacity planning.
- Drive continuous improvement, productivity, and service modernisation, using data to manage performance and quality.
- Oversee external contracts, partnerships, wholesalers, and supplier relationships, ensuring robust governance and measurable value.
- Lead organisation-wide medicines optimisation programmes, focusing on evidence-based care, safety, and patient outcomes.
- Reduce unwarranted variation, waste, and medicines-related harm; embed high-reliability prescribing and administration practices.
- Provide clinical leadership to influence prescribing quality, formulary decisions, and therapeutic pathways.
- Hold accountability for medicines expenditure and pharmacy budgets, including forecasting, variance management, and benefits tracking.
- Provide professional leadership to pharmacy staff across all services, promoting high standards, competence, and patient-centred practice.
- Lead workforce strategy, succession planning, and capability development, including building capacity in regulatory assurance (CD and WDA/GDP).
- Foster a culture of safety, fairness, inclusion, and continuous learning, with high expectations of professionalism and accountability.
- Ensure professional standards, education, and wellbeing priorities are upheld.
- Build effective relationships with clinical, operational, and system leaders to align medicines strategy, governance, and improvement.
- Represent the organisation in external medicines, pharmacy, safety, and (where relevant) GDP/WDA networks and forums.
To be successful in this role you will have:
Working Patterns: We recognise that 9-5 doesn't work for everyone, so we have a range of working patterns available to suit your work/life balance.Our friendly team will work with you to find the best fixed pattern for us both.
Generous annual leave entitlement:
- Master's degree in pharmacy (MPharm or equivalent)
- Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
- Significant senior pharmacy leadership experience in a complex healthcare setting.
- Proven executive-level leadership with Board-level advisory and assurance capability.
- Demonstrable success in medicines safety, governance, and medicines optimisation.
- Demonstrable senior accountability for Controlled Drugs governance, including leading SOP frameworks, audit/assurance, and incident response.
- Direct experience of WDA operations and MHRA GDP compliance, including QMS oversight, inspection readiness, supplier qualification, and RP assurance.
- Experience leading transformation/digital programmes within medicines and pharmacy services.
- Non-Medical prescribing qualification.
Working Patterns: We recognise that 9-5 doesn't work for everyone, so we have a range of working patterns available to suit your work/life balance.Our friendly team will work with you to find the best fixed pattern for us both.
Generous annual leave entitlement:
Standard 25 days + 8 bank holidays, increasing with service up to 33 days + 8 bank holidays. Pro Rata/ Per Annum
Employee Benefits
As part of our team at DHU Healthcare, we believe in rewarding you, our colleague, for your hard work and dedication to providing the very best in patient care. As part of our team, you can enjoy a host of benefits to enhance your well-being.
Health Cash Plan: After six months with us, you'll enjoy 24/7 GP access for you and your family, along with a free Level 1 Health Cash Plan covering dental, optical, and therapy costs to support your health and well-being whenever you need it.
Access to the DHU Hub: Offering exclusive shopping and entertainment discounts, well-being resources, a health portal, and our enhanced Employee Assistance Programme.
NHS Pension Scheme: Rest assured knowing your future is secure with our NHS pension scheme. Already an NHS employee? We acknowledge your continuous service and commitment to healthcare excellence allowing you to bring your existing pension pot and holiday allowance with you!
Car Lease Scheme: DHU has teamed up with NHS Fleet Solutions to offer a salary sacrifice scheme for colleagues. As part of our citizenship commitment and active approach to reducing our carbon footprint, we can provide you with lease options on a brand-new hybrid or electric car.
Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave:
Employee Benefits
As part of our team at DHU Healthcare, we believe in rewarding you, our colleague, for your hard work and dedication to providing the very best in patient care. As part of our team, you can enjoy a host of benefits to enhance your well-being.
Health Cash Plan: After six months with us, you'll enjoy 24/7 GP access for you and your family, along with a free Level 1 Health Cash Plan covering dental, optical, and therapy costs to support your health and well-being whenever you need it.
Access to the DHU Hub: Offering exclusive shopping and entertainment discounts, well-being resources, a health portal, and our enhanced Employee Assistance Programme.
NHS Pension Scheme: Rest assured knowing your future is secure with our NHS pension scheme. Already an NHS employee? We acknowledge your continuous service and commitment to healthcare excellence allowing you to bring your existing pension pot and holiday allowance with you!
Car Lease Scheme: DHU has teamed up with NHS Fleet Solutions to offer a salary sacrifice scheme for colleagues. As part of our citizenship commitment and active approach to reducing our carbon footprint, we can provide you with lease options on a brand-new hybrid or electric car.
Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave:
We understand the importance of family, which is why we offer enhanced maternity and paternity leave to support you during this special time in your life, supported by a robust Family Friendly policy.
Referral Programme: Share the benefits of working at DHU with your network and you can earn cash rewards through our Employee Referral Programme.
Birthday Leave Guarantee: Birthday leave isn't compulsory; it's entirely up to you! We can't always celebrate with you, so whether you choose to take the day off and indulge in a well-deserved break or prefer to work and save your leave for another time, the decision is yours to make!
Free Parking: We know how expensive public parking can be! Most of our sites offer free, secure parking for your vehicles.
We understand that digital applications may not be suitable for everyone. If you need to apply in a different way that better meets your needs, please reach out to us, and we will gladly accommodate your application in a format that works for you. For more details about our recruitment process, click here, or contact our team of talent acquisition professionals by emailing:
Referral Programme: Share the benefits of working at DHU with your network and you can earn cash rewards through our Employee Referral Programme.
Birthday Leave Guarantee: Birthday leave isn't compulsory; it's entirely up to you! We can't always celebrate with you, so whether you choose to take the day off and indulge in a well-deserved break or prefer to work and save your leave for another time, the decision is yours to make!
Free Parking: We know how expensive public parking can be! Most of our sites offer free, secure parking for your vehicles.
We understand that digital applications may not be suitable for everyone. If you need to apply in a different way that better meets your needs, please reach out to us, and we will gladly accommodate your application in a format that works for you. For more details about our recruitment process, click here, or contact our team of talent acquisition professionals by emailing:
.
At DHU Healthcare, we take pride in our diversity and foster an environment where every person feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, free from discrimination or bias. We warmly welcome applications from all individuals, reflecting the rich diversity of the communities we serve. To read more about our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion pledge and see the progress we have made, please click here .
We are proud to be a forces-friendly organisation and are dedicated to supporting Veterans, Service Leavers, Reservists, Cader Force Adult Volunteers, and military spouses/partners. We value the unique skills and contributions you bring and strive to create a workplace where you can thrive.
#IND4 - Corporate
LNKD1_UKTJ
At DHU Healthcare, we take pride in our diversity and foster an environment where every person feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, free from discrimination or bias. We warmly welcome applications from all individuals, reflecting the rich diversity of the communities we serve. To read more about our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion pledge and see the progress we have made, please click here .
We are proud to be a forces-friendly organisation and are dedicated to supporting Veterans, Service Leavers, Reservists, Cader Force Adult Volunteers, and military spouses/partners. We value the unique skills and contributions you bring and strive to create a workplace where you can thrive.
#IND4 - Corporate
LNKD1_UKTJ