Employer NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board Employer type NHS Site Gail House Town Maidstone Salary £94,356 - £108,814 pro rata, per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 31/05/2026 23:59 Interview date 16/06/2026
Deputy Chief Pharmacist and Deputy Director of Medicines Optimisation
Job overview
Please note: at this stage, the role is open only to colleagues currently employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts; the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Southeast Integrated Care Boards
The Deputy Director for Medicines Optimisation – Strategic Commissioning is a senior leader within the ICB’s CMO directorate, supporting the ICB Chief Pharmacist in delivering strategic commissioning responsibilities for medicines and pharmacy. The role is pivotal in shaping medicines commissioning strategies, pathway redesign, and system-wide transformation, aligned with the NHS 10 Year Plan. The postholder leverages data insights to inform commissioning decisions, focusing on population health, digital innovation, and outcomes-based approaches.
Main duties of the job
* Lead and deliver strategic commissioning plans, managing substantial budgets to ensure value, sustainability, and improved outcomes.
* Oversee and contract manage the commissioned/delegated Medicines Optimisation delivery unit including shaping the future direction of commissioning for neighbourhood teams with respect to medicines and prescribing.
* Provide authoritative leadership for pathway redesign, service transformation, and clinical stewardship (including but not limited to Antimicrobial Stewardship and the management of Controlled Drugs).
* Oversee financial stewardship, workforce planning, and performance management in line with ICB objectives.
* Champion stakeholder engagement, effective communication, and collaborative partnerships across the health system.
* Ensure compliance with governance, equality, safeguarding, and information standards.
Working for our organisation
We are committed to a culture that supports all staff at NHS Kent and Medway to be the best version of themselves.
Our ability to improve outcomes for our population depends on how effectively clinical, operational, financial and strategic professionals work together to make informed commissioning decisions. That’s why our workforce works a minimum of two days-a-week on-site, with the expectation that all one-to-ones are held face-to-face and that colleagues will regularly visit the services we are commissioning to understand more about them.
We believe regular on-site working supports stronger collaboration, faster problem-solving, peer learning, visible leadership and the integration of colleagues into our organisation. We also know that culture is built through shared experiences and day-to-day interactions.
We are a flexible working friendly organisation; we aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.
We work with staff to agree objectives through regular supervision, annual appraisal and access to training opportunities.
We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity. In order to reflect the diversity of our population, we positively encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Qualifications and Experience
* Significant experience in pharmaceutical/prescribing advice in primary care
* Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master’s level equivalent
* Proven leadership in complex healthcare environments, with expertise in commissioning, financial management, and service transformation.
Professional registration
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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