Band 8c Associate Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist

Job summary

The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and dynamic pharmacy professional to join the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) Procurement team. The successful candidate will become an Associate Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist working to the existing Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist in the Midlands Region. This post will be hosted by the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

The post-holder will be working with the Regional Pharmacy Procurement Specialist (RPPS) team to ensure operational delivery of our service against the SPS National Service Specification. You will work very closely with the RPPSs alongside the Commercial Medicines Unit, assisting in the operationalisation and delivery or an optimised supply chain across England. The post holder is expected to provide expert operational leadership for pharmacy procurement services within their designated NHS England region, managing medicines and medicine related services primarily to the hospital sector of the NHS.

You will be expected to work collaboratively with colleagues across the other functions within SPS.

For further information or an informal discussion please contact James Kent SPS Procurement Hub Lead

Main duties, tasks & skills required

The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service supports the NHS to develop best practice systems of work-related to buying, making, and using medicines. The service provides leadership, instructive and informative specialist input and operational support to the sourcing, supply and use of medicines across the system.

Within the SPS Procurement team, we focus on supporting medicines optimisation and patient care through supporting the national agenda for the procurement of medicines for the NHS, supporting the NHS with the implementation and monitoring of uptake of national contracts for medicines, and supporting supply chain management at a national, regional, and Trust level.

About us

We are recognised as one of the leading NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK. Our vision is to Build Healthier Lives, and we recognise that we need incredible staff to do this.

Our commitment to our staff is to create the best place for them to work, and we are dedicated to:

Investing in the health and wellbeing of our staff, including a commitment of offering flexible working where we can;
Offer our staff a wide variety of training and development opportunities, to support their personal and career development objectives.

UHB is committed to ensuring that our staff are treated fairly and feel that they belong, by creating a kind and inclusive environment. This is about equity of opportunity; removing all barriers, including discrimination and ensuring each individual member of staff reach their true potential, achieve their ambitions and thrive in their work. This is more than words. We are taking action. Our commitment to an inclusive culture is embedded at all levels of the organisation where every voice is heard, driven by our diverse and active staff networks, and at Board level by the Fairness Taskforce led by our CEO. We nurture a culture which empowers staff to challenge discriminatory behaviours and to enable people to bring their 'whole self' to a kinder, more connected and bold place to work.

University Hospitals Birmingham is a Smoke-Free premises hospital.

Job description

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description* 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

*Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician (Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council).

*Post-graduate qualification in pharmacy, healthcare or procurement

*or equivalent extensive experience and specialist knowledge in the area of practice.

Desirable

*Post-graduate level original research and/or publication in an area relevant specifically to the delivery of Medicines Optimisation.

*Post-graduate management qualification.

*Post-graduate procurement qualification.

Experience

Essential

*Detailed knowledge and experience of working with Medicines Optimisation and/or medicines decision making groups within the NHS (e.g. Area Prescribing Committees or equivalent).

*Detailed knowledge of Medicines Optimisation as it pertains to both primary and secondary care.

*Knowledge of procurement, it's current provision across England through NHS SPS, and its role in delivering Medicines Optimisation.

*Understanding and appreciation of local and national NHS (including pharmaceutical) policy.

*Understanding of underpinning medicines legislation i.e. Medicines Act and Misuse of Drugs Act, Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines (Duthie), Good Distribution and Manufacturing Practice, Medicines Guidance Note 14 etc.

Desirable

*Existing knowledge of the Specialist Pharmacy Service and its development and role in delivery of Medicines Optimisation.

*Experience in purchasing / contracting.

*Working with industry to achieve best outcomes.

*Specialist knowledge of EU Public Procurement Law, Standing Financial Instructions and Standing Orders.

*Familiarity with pharmacy stock control systems.

Additional Criteria

Essential

*Ability to manage own time and workload entirely autonomously with good organisational skills

*Ability to take the lead on large projects and use own initiative, within agreed cost, quality and time

* Ability to negotiate with stakeholders in order to deliver desired outcomes

* Ability to work with providers and commissioners to support development of service improvement and performance management plans

* Ability to work from home, or attend the department when needed. Also there will be a need to attend meetings regionally and nationally as required. There may need for travel and overnight stays occasionally

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

For help with your application, contact: 

James Kent 

james.kent@nhs.net 

07943307379