Pharmacist Specialist
CompanyCare Quality Commission
Location
Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Employment TypeInternship
Posted At4/12/2026
UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics
Occupation TypePharmacists
Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled
Sponsorship Salary Threshold
Varies by national pay scale
Healthcare national pay scale applies
⚕️ Healthcare job - uses national pay scale
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Description
Grade A - £55,172 (National) – There is also an additional homeworking allowance of £600 per annum for those working from home. Please note for part time roles – this will be pro rata.
Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week. Part time hours will be considered (minimum 4 days per week)
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Home-based – Peterborough or Northampton areas (Please note that this role will include regular travel, and some overnight stays within the CQC Central Region)
Closing date: Sunday 10 May 2026 at 11.59 pm
Assessment Date: Wednesday 27 May and/or Thursday 28 May 2026
Your assessment will be face-to-face and includes:
If you're curious about the role or just want to find out a bit more before applying, we’d love to have an informal conversation. No pressure, no commitment—just a chance to ask questions, get a feel for the team, and see if it’s the right fit for you. Please contact: Simon Hill, Medicines Manager at Simon.Hill@cqc.org.uk
Make a difference
Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’re looking for a new role in CQC’s Medicines Optimisation team that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you’ve found it! As a Pharmacist Specialist, you’ll use your pharmaceutical expertise to help ensure medicines are used safely and effectively across health and social care services.
You’ll be working with inspection teams and with external partners to improve how medicines are managed in health and social care settings. Your advice and leadership will help protect people and promote better outcomes.
The role
Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week. Part time hours will be considered (minimum 4 days per week)
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Home-based – Peterborough or Northampton areas (Please note that this role will include regular travel, and some overnight stays within the CQC Central Region)
Closing date: Sunday 10 May 2026 at 11.59 pm
Assessment Date: Wednesday 27 May and/or Thursday 28 May 2026
- The assessment centre will be Face to Face at CQC Office, 2 Redman Place, Stratford, E20 1JQ
Your assessment will be face-to-face and includes:
- A short written exercise
- A brief presentation (prepared in advance - we'll send you the details)
- A relaxed interview
If you're curious about the role or just want to find out a bit more before applying, we’d love to have an informal conversation. No pressure, no commitment—just a chance to ask questions, get a feel for the team, and see if it’s the right fit for you. Please contact: Simon Hill, Medicines Manager at Simon.Hill@cqc.org.uk
Make a difference
Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’re looking for a new role in CQC’s Medicines Optimisation team that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you’ve found it! As a Pharmacist Specialist, you’ll use your pharmaceutical expertise to help ensure medicines are used safely and effectively across health and social care services.
You’ll be working with inspection teams and with external partners to improve how medicines are managed in health and social care settings. Your advice and leadership will help protect people and promote better outcomes.
The role
As a Pharmacist Specialist in CQC’s Medicines Optimisation team you will:
We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:
Bring your expertise to a role in CQC that really makes a difference.
Apply today to join a workplace where your impact is felt every day.
Compliance
To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.
Next steps
- Lead engagements with NHS trusts, helping to reduce risks and share good practice.
- Support inspectors during complex multiagency investigations, providing expert advice to make regulatory decisions.
- Provide expert support on medicines optimisation to help teams make sound, evidence-based decisions.
- Lead on medicines risk related to medicines use across regulated services, helping CQC take action where needed.
- Deliver training and guidance to colleagues and stakeholders to build understanding and improve practice.
We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:
- Pharmacy registration and experience: You’re a registered pharmacist with at least 5 years’ experience in clinical care across health or social care settings.
- Expertise in medicines optimisation: You’ve led work to improve how medicines are managed and can apply your knowledge to different care environments.
- Clear communication of complex issues: You’ve translated technical information into clear advice for a range of audiences.
Bring your expertise to a role in CQC that really makes a difference.
Apply today to join a workplace where your impact is felt every day.
Compliance
To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.
Next steps
If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous. Please see our information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.
You can read the full details of the role in the Job Description
The Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including:
Equity for all
We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.
We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our accessibility page for more on this. If you’d like to chat, please contact recruitment@cqc.org.uk. Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for interview or within your role these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.
You can read the full details of the role in the Job Description
The Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including:
- Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year).
- Training and development opportunities.
- Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
- NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
- Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!
Equity for all
We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.
We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our accessibility page for more on this. If you’d like to chat, please contact recruitment@cqc.org.uk. Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for interview or within your role these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.
We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger.
See our ED&I page for more about this.
We Welcome Applications From Everyone, And Colleagues Can Find Support And Community Among Our Many Employee Networks. This Includes People Of Any
We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.
Excellence – being a high-performing organisation.
Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Integrity – doing the right thing.
Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can.
We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.
A Note on AI
About
AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:
See our ED&I page for more about this.
We Welcome Applications From Everyone, And Colleagues Can Find Support And Community Among Our Many Employee Networks. This Includes People Of Any
- Age
- Sex
- Gender identity or expression
- Sexual orientation
- Religion or belief
- Ethnicity
- Disability
We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.
Excellence – being a high-performing organisation.
Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Integrity – doing the right thing.
Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can.
We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.
A Note on AI
About
AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:
- AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
- Spell-checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
- Do not copy and paste AI generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember we want to hear about your skills and experience.
- Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.