Main area Operational Aseptic Lead Grade Band 8b Contract 24 months (fixed term contract) Hours
* Full time
* Part time
* Flexible working
* Compressed hours
37.5 hours per week (Weekend/Bank Holiday rotas if required by the department)
Employer University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Worthing Hospital Town Worthing Salary £64,455 - £74,896 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 20/10/2025 23:59
Job overview
Are you an experienced and forward-thinking Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician ready to lead and innovate across our dynamic Aseptic Units? University Hospitals Sussex NHS foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional Operational Aseptic Lead to provide strategic and operational leadership across our three Aseptic Units.
Main duties of the job
* Lead the operational delivery of aseptic services across multiple hospital sites.
* Collaborate with senior pharmacy leadership to develop and implement strategic plans
* Ensure compliance with national standards and regulatory frameworks (e.g. EuGMP Annex1, QAAPS)
* Support financial planning, business case development, and cost improvement initiatives
* Manage and develop a multidisciplinary team, ensuring high standards of training, performance, and service delivery.
* Drive continuous improvement through audit, quality assurance, and service development projects.
* Act as a key liaison with internal and external stakeholders, including NHS England, SSCA, ICB, and academic institutions
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As the Operational Aseptic Lead, you will be responsible for the overarching coordination and leadership of the Trust’s Preparative Services.
* Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a Trust-wide strategy for aseptic services, aligning with national best practices and audit outcomes.
* Governance & Compliance: Ensure robust systems are in place for quality assurance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
* Service Development: Lead initiatives to expand and enhance aseptic services, including addressing gaps in provision and supporting cancer treatment pathways.
* Financial Oversight: Support budgets, develop business cases, and deliver cost improvement programmes.
* Workforce Development: Create career progression pathways and support training for pharmacy technicians and assistants.
* Operational Excellence: Standardise procedures across sites, manage capacity and contingency planning, and ensure service resilience.
* Education & Training: Supervise and support the development of trainees and staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Person specification
Qualifications and Professional Registration
* Registered as a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
* Master's degree in Pharmacy or equivalent experience
* Evidence of leadership development through formal training of national programme
* Postgraduate qualification in leadership, management or clinical pharmacy
* Postgraduate qualification in quality management of aseptic services
Experience
* Significant post registration experience in hospital pharmacy, including aseptic services
* Experience of leading Trust-wide or system-level service transformation initiatives
* Business Case development and financial modelling
* Experience in setting and managing pay and non-pay budgets for pharmacy services
* Experience of working across multiple sites or organisations
* Experience of contributing to national policy or guidance
* Involvement in national or regional working groups
* Member of specialist interest groups
Skills
* In-depth knowledge of aseptic services, SACT, QAAPs, EU GMP annex 1, and NHS governance frameworks
* Advanced skills in strategic planning, risk management, and service redesign
* Knowledge of NHS financial systems, procurement, and commissioning
* Ability to lead high-level deviation investigations and implement CAPA
* Understanding of NHS workforce planning and national aseptic strategy
People Management and Development
* Proven ability to lead, develop. and motivate cross-site teams
* Experience of workforce planning, recruitment, and performance management
* Significant experience of successful implementation of change management process
* Proven track record in succession planning and leadership pipeline development
Specific Requirements
* Able to plan future services within the cancer services in line with the pharmacy strategy and the directorate objectives
* Able to make sound judgements and act as the expert for aseptic technical services
* Able to travel between the different sites across Sussex
Freedom to Act
* Acts with high degree of autonomy, providing expert advice to senior leadership and external regulators
* Leads on policy development and implementation across multiple sites
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
* Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
* Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
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