Lead QA Radiopharmacy

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Quality Assurance professional to lead the Quality Assurance function within Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's specialist Radiopharmacy service.

The Radiopharmacy Manufacturing Unit supplies radiopharmaceuticals to Nuclear Medicine departments across Liverpool and Cheshire and Merseyside and the wider North West region. The successful candidate will provide leadership for the Pharmaceutical Quality System, ensuring compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), MHRA licensing requirements and other relevant regulatory standards.

Working closely with the Chief and Deputy Chief Radiopharmacists, the post holder will play a key role in maintaining regulatory compliance, supporting service development, leading quality improvement initiatives and ensuring the safe manufacture and release of radiopharmaceuticals. The role includes acting as a named Quality Controller on the MHRA Manufacturer's "Specials" Licence and leading quality-related matters during regulatory inspections.

This is an excellent opportunity to influence the future development of a modern NHS radiopharmacy service while working within a highly specialised multidisciplinary team committed to delivering safe, high-quality patient care.

Job description

The post holder will lead the Quality Assurance function for the Radiopharmacy Manufacturing Unit and will be responsible for ensuring compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), MHRA licensing requirements and applicable quality standards. The post holder will act as a named Quality Controller on the MHRA Manufacturer's "Specials" Licence and will lead quality-related activities during regulatory inspections.

The role is responsible for maintaining and developing the Radiopharmacy Pharmaceutical Quality System, including oversight of standard operating procedures, quality risk management, audit programmes, validation activities, deviation investigations, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), change control processes and continuous quality improvement initiatives. The post holder will ensure that facilities, equipment, processes and documentation remain compliant with regulatory requirements and industry best practice.

Working closely with the Chief and Deputy Chief Radiopharmacists, the post holder will contribute to the strategic development of Radiopharmacy services, support the implementation of new technologies and service developments, and provide specialist advice on quality, governance and regulatory matters. The post holder will also support the introduction and validation of new equipment, software systems and radiopharmaceutical services.

The post holder will lead and develop the Quality Assurance team, support workforce development and competency programmes, and contribute to the delivery of GMP training across the department. They will foster a culture of quality, compliance and continuous improvement and work collaboratively with colleagues across Radiopharmacy, Nuclear Medicine, Pharmacy and external organisations to ensure the continued provision of safe, effective and high-quality radiopharmacy services.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Vocational Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Pre-registration training and experience, meeting the GPhC examination requirements
• Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy and/or equivalent

Desirable

• PTQA/technical qualification.
• IRMER Training.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience as a qualified pharmacist within a range of clinical and technical areas / demonstrable evidence of undertaking a role at rotational grade pharmacist level.
• Structured experience in Pharmacy manufacturing and dispensing services.
• Evidence of relevant and on-going personal CPD.
• Releasing Officer experience for radiopharmaceuticals

Proven record in management of change

Desirable

• Published pharmaceutical research in a peer reviewed journal.
• Acute/ tertiary Hospital experience.

Knowledge

Essential

• Up-to-date knowledge of current NHS policies, processes and structures.
• Expert knowledge Good Manufacture Practice (GMP)
• Licenced production
• Commitment to and demonstration of Continuing Professional Development.
• Problem solving, decision making methodlogies
• Investigation and Root Cause Analysis methodologies

Desirable

• Lean principles

Skills

Essential

• Good communication and negotiation skills with other professionals, patients and carers, including verbal, written and electronic.
• Good interpersonal skills, able to work with all grades of staff.
• Good organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise own workload
• Ability to work to deadlines and meet set targets
• Ability to perform calculations to a high degree of accuracy
• Computer literacy
• Knowledge of legal requirements associated with the provision of Aseptically dispensed and manufactured 'specials
• Ability to elicit change and lead people to develop an organisation

Other

Essential

• Enthusiastic with ability to motivate self and others.
• Lead by example.
• Able to work alone and as a team member.

Able to use initiative.

Able to deal with and resolve conflict and disagreement.

Able to deal with sensitive issues.

Able to deal with constant interruptions, multiple pressures and at time aggression.

Conscientious and reliable.

Methodical with attention to detail.

Ability to work within a cleanroom environment

About the employer

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospitalis the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.Broadgreen Hospitalis home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.Liverpool Women's Hospitalspecialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. TheRoyal Liverpool University Hospitalis the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women's, visit theircareers page.