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Operational Manager – Pharmacy Procurement
The closing date is 15 July 2025
Operational Manager - Pharmacy Procurement 8A 37.5 hours per week
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Pharmacy technician or Pharmacist to lead our Pharmacy Procurement team. The ideal candidate will be forward-thinking, with a strong commitment to delivering exceptional service to our customers and, ultimately, our patients.
Main duties of the job
UCLH operates an offsite pharmacy warehouse, which holds a wholesaler license with the MHRA and is licensed by the Home Office to supply controlled drugs. The unit manages an annual expenditure of over £210 million. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the efficient procurement of medicines.
About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.
We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
In addition to providing medicines to all areas of UCLH, the service extends to multiple external customers, including other local NHS trusts. The post-holder will also assist the Director of Pharmacy Operations in maintaining and developing pharmacy services across the Trust as part of a strategic working group.
Lead the strategic development of pharmacy medicines procurement at the trust and external customers (where relevant) to meet local, regional, and nationally agreed requirements and priorities. To develop and coordinate procurement strategy to ensure efficient and cost-effective procurement of medicines which are of acceptable quality, available when needed and represent the best possible value for money. Delivery of an effective, efficient, and high-quality medicines procurement in line with all professional and regulatory standards, for UCLH NHS Foundation Trust and other relevant customers. Build and maintain proactive strategic relationships with all stakeholders including suppliers, other appropriate NHS providers, commissioner colleagues and other NHS bodies such as NHS Improvement. Train and develop the team to deliver an expert, high quality, effective stakeholder-focused service to all areas of responsibility. Ensuring the trust is exposed to minimum clinical risk by purchasing from reputable suppliers and that unlicensed products are identified for the Quality Assurance team. Managing the Pharmacy Purchasing Office which generates orders and approves invoices worth around 210 million pounds per year. Minimising the out of stocks and thereby support the KPI of 98% service level. Failure to achieve a high standard of performance may lead to delays in patient treatment with subsequent morbidity or even mortality. Managing the daily continuity of supply of drugs and or suggesting suitable alternatives if no stocks are available. Responding urgently to concerns over the stocking of critical medicines to prevent patient morbidity and or mortality. To ensure all suppliers and customers are validated as per MHRA requirements.
The position will be based at the Pharmacy Business and Distribution Centre at Brewery Road, N7 9NH, with occasional travel or visits to other UCLH sites.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
* Registered Technician or Pharmacist with GHPC
* Knowledge of finance systems and budget control processes
* Demonstrable post qualification experience in the NHS sector - preferably in a Pharmacy Procurement role Knowledge of finance systems and budget control processes
Experience
* Implementation of strategies aimed at meeting Trust and pharmacy priorities.
* Ability to influence senior pharmacy, nursing, medical, and other multidisciplinary staff.
Personal and People Development
* Demonstrates ability to work and lead a multi-disciplinary team.
Skills and Abilities
* Demonstrates a whole-system patient-focussed approach.
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.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Pharmacy Business and Distribution Centre
£61,927 to £68,676 a yearper annum inclusive of HCAS
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
309-UCLH-6510-A
Job locations
Pharmacy Business and Distribution Centre
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