Deputy Chief Pharmacist

Job summary
As Deputy Chief Pharmacist , you will play a pivotal role in leading, developing, and delivering safe, effective, and innovative pharmacy services across our hospitals. Working closely with the chief pharmacist and pharmacy board, you'll help drive our new trust strategy in matters related to medicines optimisation, support national priorities, and ensure regulatory compliance.

You'll lead a diverse team of pharmacy professionals across multiple sites, fostering a culture of inclusion, learning, and excellence. You will also drive innovation and create a culture of continuous improvement. The role involves deputising for the chief pharmacist in representing pharmacy within senior trust and regional networks when needed — influencing policy, service design, and quality improvement.

This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary pharmacy leader who thrives on strategic challenges and wants to make a lasting impact on patient care.

Main duties of the job

• Act as the sites expert in medicines optimisation, with delegated responsibility from the chief pharmacist.
• Deputise for the chief pharmacist to provide strategic and professional leadership for medicines optimisation services across the trust and to external customers.
• Ensure pharmacy services are patient-centred, safe, progressive, cost-effective, and delivered within agreed budgets by competent staff.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in pharmacy services, embedding quality improvement and R&I principles.
• Lead and manage strategic project planning for pharmacy services, assessing resource requirements and potential impact across the trust.
• Positively influence stakeholders to achieve high standards in medicines optimisation across the organisation.
• Lead on business planning, formulating cases of need and submitting bids for procurement of additional resources based on evaluation, research, quotations and established contracts.
• Appraise and evaluate service delivery and role development.
• Represent the pharmacy department at trust committees and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, such as other NHS trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).
• Delegated management of allocated pharmacy budget for RSCH and PRH pharmacy.
• Member of pharmacy board.

About us
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. 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 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Candidate Pack

Details
Date posted: 17 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £94,356 to £108,814 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Job share, Compressed hours
Reference number: 279-7589487-JUL26
Job locations: Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE, United Kingdom

Visa sponsorship
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route however sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds (£25000), and any role-specific criteria.

If you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.

Person Specification
Shortlisting - Essential

• Registered as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• Master's degree in Pharmacy or equivalent (earlier BSC or BPharm), plus substantial degree of additional training and experience.
• Post-graduate qualification relevant to hospital pharmacy practice.
• Leadership or Management qualification relevant to the NHS at Diploma or Masters level or substantial senior management experience and success in previous roles.
• Clinical leadership in an acute hospital setting.
• Experience of leading and managing a large team in an acute hospital setting.
• Evidence of commitment to CPD.
• Track record of high performance.

Shortlisting - Desirable

• Responsible Person (RP) qualified as per Good Distribution Practice (GDP) principles
• Experience with wholesale dealer's authorisations and MHRA inspections.
• Experience with other regulatory bodies such as GphC and CQC.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion - Essential

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues.

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.

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