Join us at the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.
The Group was formed in 2025 to bring the three Acute Trusts in Norfolk and Waveney together into one system with a one purpose – better care for patients. It has unified leadership with one Chair, one Chief Executive and one Board, which includes Executive Managing Directors for all three Trusts.
The Group has clearly defined aims to
* Provide great care.
* Nurture a skilled, engaged workforce.
* Enable service modernisation expanding digital use and services.
* Plan the right services and environments and support the development of integrated neighbourhood services.
* Stabilise finances and live within our means.
* Leverage our network and strengthen collaboration with system partners.
* Shape future roles of our hospitals and the pattern of clinical Services necessary to support them- starting with the needs of our population.
It also has an ambition to build, with its partners in health sciences, education and research, a world class University Hospitals System.
Taken together, our three Acute Trusts – The James Paget University Hospital NHS Trust in Gorleston, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich (including the Jenny Lind Children's Hospital and Cromer Hospital, have a combined workforce of circa 18,000 people.
Job overview
Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group brings together three acute hospitals to deliver high-quality, safe, and compassionate care across the region. We are committed to innovation, research, and continuous improvement, ensuring our services meet the needs of patients now and in the future.
As part of this transformation, we are seeking an exceptional leader to join us as Group Chief Pharmacist—a pivotal role in shaping medicines optimisation and pharmacy services across our hospitals
The Group Chief Pharmacist is the professional lead for pharmacy and medicines optimisation across the hospital group. This executive-level position provides strategic, professional, and operational leadership, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and financially sustainable pharmacy services across all three sites.
You will act as the senior accountable officer for medicines management, providing expert advice to the Board and senior clinicians, and ensuring compliance with statutory, regulatory, and clinical standards. This role also offers the opportunity to influence policy at regional and national levels, champion digital transformation, and lead research and innovation in pharmacy practice.
Advert
We are looking for a highly experienced and visionary pharmacy leader who can inspire teams and deliver transformation at scale.
Essential Requirements:
* Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
* Extensive senior-level pharmacy leadership experience within an acute NHS Trust or similar complex organisation.
* Proven track record in strategic planning, medicines governance, and service transformation.
* Strong financial and workforce management skills.
* Ability to influence at system and national level.
Desirable:
* Leadership or management qualification relevant to the NHS.
* Experience contributing to national policy development.
* Evidence of research and innovation in pharmacy practice.
Working for our organisation
The newly formed Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is placing people and culture at the heart of its transformation.
By working as one system, the Group is strengthening workforce development, improving staff experience, and creating consistent, supportive leadership across all three hospitals. This unified approach enables better training, enhanced well-being support, and a stronger culture rooted in compassion, flexibility, and continuous learning.
Focusing on people also supports national priorities—ensuring the workforce is skilled, adaptable, and ready for future models of care—and strengthens NWUHG's overall performance by improving quality, resilience, and sustainability.
Together, this creates a Groupwide commitment to making NWUHG a great place to work, with clear benefits for staff including:
· Flexible working hours
· Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
· Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
· Discounted gym memberships
· Generous pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
· Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
· Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
· Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
· On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
· On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
· Support in career development
· Flexible staff bank
· Salary Sacrifice schemes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership:
Develop and deliver the Group Pharmacy Strategy aligned with organisational priorities and ICS objectives.
Represent the hospital group at regional and national forums, influencing policy and shaping the future of pharmacy.
Clinical and Professional Leadership:
Ensure safe, effective, and patient-centred pharmacy services across all sites.
Act as the professional head of pharmacy, maintaining oversight of medicines governance and clinical effectiveness.
Champion medicines safety, antimicrobial stewardship, and digital transformation.
Governance and Risk Management:
Provide assurance to the Trust Board on medicines governance and compliance.
Chair the Group Medicines Management Committee and lead investigations into medicine-related incidents.
Partnership and Collaboration:
Work with system partners to enable a whole-system approach to medicines optimisation.
Build partnerships with universities, research bodies, and industry to advance education and innovation.
Operational and Financial Management:
Oversee pharmacy workforce deployment and development across all sites.
Manage significant budgets and resources, ensuring cost-effective delivery of care.
Drive efficiencies through digital solutions, automation, and standardisation.
The Job Description and Person Specification outline the full scope of responsibilities and essential criteria for this role. In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate how your skills, experience, and leadership capabilities align with the requirements detailed in the Person Specification.
Please note this is an application led process and CVs are not accepted.
Visa and Immigration
Applicants requiring sponsorship—including those currently sponsored and seeking a change of employer—should review the eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker Visa, available at:
Travel to Work
On-site parking at Group Head office, Norwich, may be available at the time of appointment; if required, please discuss this during the onboarding process.
Group Head office is well served by several public transport routes, and staff benefit from discounted monthly travel passes with First Bus and Konect. Secure bicycle storage is available, and employees can access our Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme. A Beryl bike station is also located on site.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Roles involving work with children or adults will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Applicants will be asked to declare relevant information regarding previous convictions during the application process.
NHS Service Verification
If appointed, we will verify any previous NHS service via the ESR Inter‑Authority Transfer (IAT) process. Submission of your application will be taken as agreement to this.
For VSM (Very Senior Manager) posts, applicants must also declare any redundancy payments received within the 12 months prior to re‑employment within the NHS.
Professional Registration
Where professional registration is an essential requirement of the role, candidates must hold current UK registration at the point of application.
Application Correspondence
To support our commitment to reducing paper usage, all correspondence regarding your application will be issued by email. Please ensure that you check your inbox (including spam/junk folders) regularly.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We value diversity at all levels of the organisation and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Applicants with a disability who meet the minimum essential criteria may request consideration under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this on their application form.
Flexible Working
While recruitment will be undertaken in line with the advertised post, we recognise the importance of flexible working. Alternative working patterns or contract types (e.g., part‑time arrangements or secondments) may be considered. If you wish to propose a different working pattern, please indicate this within your supporting statement.