Business, Commercial & Operational Lead
Closing date is 26 May 2026
An exciting new opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Clinical Trials Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician to lead and develop the business, financial, and management of our large Clinical Trials Pharmacy service. This is a senior leadership role with a strong commercial and strategic focus. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the sustainability, growth, and financial performance of the clinical trials portfolio while maintaining high standards of governance and patient safety.
We are therefore looking for someone with proven leadership and management skills and business acumen, who will be able to work well with the current operational clinical lead, pharmacy, finance and clinical colleagues. We are also looking for someone with strategic vision who can work with the pharmacy leadership team to develop future growth plans, demonstrate achievement of KPIs and ensure relevant national and local standards are met.
Our Trust is committed to supporting growth in research in a wide variety of specialties and this is a great time to join the trust with the commitment to increase our number of research with the new Sir Bobby Robson Institute build that started in April 2026.
* 30 Hours/Week
* You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
Strategic Leadership
* Lead the development and delivery of the Clinical Trials Pharmacy business strategy
* Identify and maximise opportunities for portfolio growth, income generation, and service expansion
* Act as a senior advisor on clinical trials pharmacy matters across the organisation
* Take responsibility for budgeting, financial planning, and reporting for the clinical trials service
* Develop robust costing models for commercial and non-commercial trials
* Ensure accurate pricing, invoicing, and recovery of trial-related costs
* Deliver financial efficiencies while maintaining service quality
Business Development
* Build strong relationships with commercial sponsors, CROs, and research partners
* Lead negotiations for pharmacy service agreements and cost recovery
* Drive innovation in service delivery models to enhance competitiveness
Governance & Quality
* Ensure compliance with GCP, regulatory standards, and Trust policies
* Maintain robust governance systems to support safe and compliant trials delivery
* Lead audits, inspections, and continuous quality improvement initiatives
* Ensure readiness for MHRA and sponsor inspections
If you want to join a large Trust committed to growth in research and dynamic change, this could be the role for you!
About us
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Job responsibilities
* To manage the day-to-day operations of Pharmacy Clinical Trials Delivery of Directorate performance targets and budget managemento The leadership and oversight of all technical staff within Pharmacy Clinical Trials The direct line management of senior technical staff working within Pharmacy Clinical Trials
* Responsible for the delivery of Pharmacy Clinical Trials
* Contribute to the Pharmacy Leadership Team meetings involving the Director, Deputy Director and Assistant Directors of Pharmacy.
* Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within Pharmacy Clinical Trials (e.g. time to set up a commercial clinical trial) taking corrective action if required to ensure targets are achieved.
* Report KPIs at monthly pharmacy governance meetings
* Implement agreed strategic changes within Pharmacy Clinical Trials
* Work alongside the Deputy and Assistant Directors of Pharmacy and the Lead Clinical Pharmacists to ensure optimal delivery of pharmacy services.
* Ensure all relevant standards relating to Pharmacy Clinical Trials met: o RPS standards o CQC standards o MHRA standards o Trust and Regional Pharmacy Standards o Drug alert and recalls. o Health and safety of the work environment o Controlled drug processes o Risk Management
* To undertake the role of a registered pharmacy technician or pharmacist.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education
* Master of Pharmacy or Postgraduate management qualification to Master's Level or relevant management experience
* Registered with GPhC
* Recognised qualification to check dispensed medicines
Knowledge & Experience
* Specialist knowledge and understanding of all aspects of pharmacy clinical trials, supported by significant practical experience
* Specialist knowledge of current NHS policies affecting Pharmacy
* Leadership and management strategies
* Specialist knowledge as a Pharmacy operational lead
* Experience of generating and delivering commercial income from clinical trials
* Sound understanding of confidentiality and IG
* How to write (and version control) SOPs / policies
* Requirements of training and development programmes
* How to manage performance, sickness and implement HR policies
* Evidence of professional CPD
* Significant experience of working as a manager in hospital pharmacy with experience of budgetary management
* Understanding of key performance targets, measures, clinical and corporate governance requirements
* Significant experience of successful operational staff deployment, prioritisation, managing rotas and adapting working patterns to align with service need
* Significant experience of leading, managing and empowering staff to deliver change and to be resilient to service pressures / conflict
* Project management experience (delivered on time within budget)
* Improving staff experience and engagement
* Significant experience of objective setting, staff appraisal and performance management
* Significant experience of error monitoring and responding to complaints
* Producing written reports, letters, meeting notes and action plans
* Monitored implementation of SOPs / compliance in practice
* Implementation and assessment of audits
* Experience across a wide range of pharmaceutical services
* Evidence of understanding of Trust Business
* Experience of working in the Trust previously
Skills & Abilities
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail
* Highly skilled negotiator
* Ability to work under pressure, managing multiple projects to tight deadlines
* Strong people management, mentoring, influencing, negotiating, delegating and leadership skills. Ability to handle conflict and overcome resistance to change
* Good organisational / project management skills, effective time management with ability to make decisions and prioritise
* Patient / service user focused attitude and ability to manage expectations
* Adaptable to changes in working environment / processes
* Ability to work on own or as part of a team
* Analysis of budget statements and tracking reports
* Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr