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. This is a pivotal role for someone passionate about service development, patient safety, and workforce innovation in aseptic services.
Main duties of the job
1. Lead the operational delivery of aseptic services across multiple hospital sites.
2. Collaborate with senior pharmacy leadership to develop and implement strategic plans
3. Ensure compliance with national standards and regulatory frameworks (e.g. EuGMP Annex1, QAAPS)
4. Support financial planning, business case development, and cost improvement initiatives
5. Manage and develop a multidisciplinary team, ensuring high standards of training, performance, and service delivery.
6. Drive continuous improvement through audit, quality assurance, and service development projects.
7. Act as a key liaison with internal and external stakeholders, including NHS England, SSCA, ICB, and academic institutions
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
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. You will work closely with the Lead Pharmacist for Preparative Services and the Pharmacy QA and Project Manager to shape a cutting-edge strategy that meets the evolving needs of patients and the Trust.
Your responsibilities will include:
8. Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a Trust-wide strategy for aseptic services, aligning with national best practices and audit outcomes.
9. Governance & Compliance: Ensure robust systems are in place for quality assurance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
10. Service Development: Lead initiatives to expand and enhance aseptic services, including addressing gaps in provision and supporting cancer treatment pathways.
11. Financial Oversight: Support budgets, develop business cases, and deliver cost improvement programmes.
12. Workforce Development: Create career progression pathways and support training for pharmacy technicians and assistants.
13. Operational Excellence: Standardise procedures across sites, manage capacity and contingency planning, and ensure service resilience.
14. Education & Training: Supervise and support the development of trainees and staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
This role is ideal for a highly motivated individual with significant experience in hospital pharmacy management, a strong understanding of aseptic services, and a passion for leading change in a complex healthcare setting.
Person specification
Qualifications and Professional Registration
Essential criteria
15. Registered as a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
16. Master's degree in Pharmacy or equivalent experience
17. Evidence of leadership development through formal training of national programme
Desirable criteria
18. Postgraduate qualification in leadership, management or clinical pharmacy
19. Postgraduate qualification in quality management of aseptic services
Experience
Essential criteria
20. Significant post registration experience in hospital pharmacy, including aseptic services
21. Experience of leading Trust-wide or system-level service transformation initiatives
22. Business Case development and financial modelling
23. Experience in setting and managing pay and non-pay budgets for pharmacy services
Desirable criteria
24. Experience of working across multiple sites or organisations
25. Experience of contributing to national policy or guidance
26. Involvement in national or regional working groups
27. Member of specialist interest groups
Skills
Essential criteria
28. In-depth knowledge of aseptic services, SACT, QAAPs, EU GMP annex 1, and NHS governance frameworks
29. Advanced skills in strategic planning, risk management, and service redesign
30. Knowledge of NHS financial systems, procurement, and commissioning
31. Ability to lead high-level deviation investigations and implement CAPA
Desirable criteria
32. Understanding of NHS workforce planning and national aseptic strategy
People Management and Development
Essential criteria
33. Proven ability to lead, develop. and motivate cross-site teams
34. Experience of workforce planning, recruitment, and performance management
35. Significant experience of successful implementation of change management process
Desirable criteria
36. Proven track record in succession planning and leadership pipeline development
Specific Requirements
Essential criteria
37. Able to plan future services within the cancer services in line with the pharmacy strategy and the directorate objectives
38. Able to make sound judgements and act as the expert for aseptic technical services
39. Able to travel between the different sites across Sussex
Freedom to Act
Essential criteria
40. Acts with high degree of autonomy, providing expert advice to senior leadership and external regulators
41. Leads on policy development and implementation across multiple sites
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Essential criteria
42. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
43. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications