Associate Director - Medicines Commissioning and Population Health

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and strategicpharmacy leader to join our system as Associate Director of MedicinesCommissioning and Population Health. This is a pivotal senior role with aprimary care focus, shaping how medicines are commissioned, optimised and usedacross our Integrated Care System to deliver better outcomes, reduceinequalities and ensure value for money.

You will lead on the development and delivery ofsystem-wide medicines strategies, working collaboratively with seniorclinicians, providers, primary care networks and system partners. This is anexciting opportunity to influence population health through innovation,evidence-based decision making and transformational leadership.

This role requires a visible, collaborativeleader with strong clinical and financial acumen, excellent stakeholderengagement skills and the ability to work within complex systems.

There is an expectation that the successfulcandidate will have significant on-site presence across our office bases inCoventry, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Interviews will be held Monday 27th July and will be atKirkham House, Worcester.

NHS Coventry & Warwickshire ICB and NHS Herefordshire& Worcestershire ICB are working together as a cluster with a sharedmanagement team. The ICBs recognise thevalue serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families bring toour business and would encourage people from the armed forces community toapply for our vacancies.

Main duties of the job

You will provide strategic leadership formedicines commissioning and optimisation across the Integrated Care System,ensuring prescribing practices are safe, effective, evidence-based andfinancially sustainable. You will lead programmes to improve outcomes, reduceunwarranted variation and address health inequalities through optimal medicinesuse.

The role requires oversight of significantprescribing budgets, delivery of efficiency programmes and providing expertadvice on the financial and clinical impact of medicines decisions. You willwork closely with clinical leaders, finance and contracting teams, andproviders to implement national guidance and develop local pathways.

You will also lead system-wide collaboration,building strong relationships with Chief Pharmacists, medical leaders, PCNs andcommunity pharmacy, and will represent the ICB at regional and national forums.

Strongleadership, analytical capability, and the ability to influence acrossorganisational boundaries are essential to succeed in this role.

About us

The NHS is a world-renowned institution and an exciting place to work full of challenges and opportunities. As part of the national health and care reforms, Integrated Care Boards are refocusing on the core role of strategic commissioners, enabling greater impact on population health, reducing health inequalities, improving productivity and supporting transformation across systems. As a result NHS Coventry & Warwickshire ICB and NHS Herefordshire & Worcestershire ICB are working together as a cluster.

We are dynamic, forward-looking organisations, passionate about working with health and social care partners to ensure services are integrated, and offer a high-quality patient experience. We thrive on building strong relationships with patients, communities, partners and providers. We provide a supportive, collaborative environment, offering staff opportunities to reach their full potential and achieve a work-life balance through a blend of collaborative workplace attendance and home working.

Joining our team comes with attractive benefits such as:

• Employee Assistance programmes and access to a wealth of on-line wellbeing support
• Competitive NHS Pension Scheme
• Opportunities to learn new skills and develop your career
• Generous holiday entitlement, which increases in line with service. There is also the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
• Flexible working patterns to support individuals work-life balance.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Associate Director Medicines Commissioning isresponsible for shaping, developing, and delivering the ICBs medicinescommissioning and optimisation strategy across the Integrated Care System(ICS).

The postholder ensures that medicinescommissioning decisions are evidence based, clinically sound, financiallysustainable, and aligned to the NHS Long Term Plan, NICE guidance, populationhealth needs, and local ICS priorities.

Working closely with clinical leaders,pharmacy teams, providers, PCNs, community pharmacy, and system partners, theAssociate Director leads programmes to improve the safe, effective, andequitable use of medicines across all care settings.

The Associate Director of Medicines Commissioning will:

• Leadthe development, implementation, and monitoring of the ICBs MedicinesCommissioning Strategy.
• Translatenational policy (NICE, NHS England, MHRA) into local commissioning approachesand pathways.
• Providestrategic leadership on prescribing, high-cost drugs, biosimilars, shared careprotocols, and medicines value programmes.
• Ensuremedicines commissioning decisions support ICB priorities around outcomes,quality, financial sustainability, and reducing inequalities.
• Overseemedicines budgets across primary care prescribing.
• Analyseexpenditure trends, identify cost pressures, and implement mitigation plans.

• Leadprogrammes to deliver value, efficiency, and system wide medicinesoptimisation.
• Provideexpert advice to finance, contracting, and clinical colleagues on the financialimpact of new medicines and policy changes.
• Ensurerobust clinical governance for medicines commissioning activities, includingquality impact assessments (QIAs), risk reviews, and clinical safety checks.
• Ensureadherence to NICE technology appraisals, national prescribing guidance, MHRAalerts, and patient safety requirements.
• Supportthe safe implementation of new medicines, treatment pathways, and prescribingpolicies.
• Workwith quality, safety, and provider colleagues to address medicines relatedincidents and learning.
• Leadintegrated medicines optimisation programmes across primary, community, mentalhealth, and acute care.
• SupportPCN and practice based pharmacy teams with prescribing guidance, pathways, andexpert advice.
• Driveevidence based prescribing, reduce unwarranted variation, improve outcomes, andaddress inequalities in medicines use.
• Supportdelivery of system transformation programmes (e.g., long term conditions, UEC,cancer, mental health) with medicines leadership.
• Buildstrong relationships with Chief Pharmacists, medical directors, PCN ClinicalDirectors, GP practices, and community pharmacy.
• Representthe ICB at regional and ICSwide medicines optimisation groups and professionalnetworks.
• Engagewith patients, carers, the VCSE sector, and Healthwatch to shape medicinescommissioning decisions.
• Workwith local authorities on public health priorities, including antimicrobialstewardship, vaccination, and substance misuse.
• Overseeformulary development, review, and governance.
• Ensureprescribing policies, guidelines, shared care protocols, and pathways areclinically robust and aligned system wide
• Supportdecision making groups such as Area Prescribing Committees or MedicinesOptimisation Groups.
• Leadclinical and commissioning impact assessments for new drugs and treatments.
• Providevisible, inclusive leadership and support professional development of pharmacyand commissioning staff.
• Linemanage senior pharmacists, pharmacists, pharmacytechnicians and programme managers as required.
• Fostera culture of learning, collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovationwithin the team and across the system.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Associate Director Medicines Commissioning isresponsible for shaping, developing, and delivering the ICBs medicinescommissioning and optimisation strategy across the Integrated Care System(ICS).

The postholder ensures that medicinescommissioning decisions are evidence based, clinically sound, financiallysustainable, and aligned to the NHS Long Term Plan, NICE guidance, populationhealth needs, and local ICS priorities.

Working closely with clinical leaders,pharmacy teams, providers, PCNs, community pharmacy, and system partners, theAssociate Director leads programmes to improve the safe, effective, andequitable use of medicines across all care settings.

The Associate Director of Medicines Commissioning will:

• Leadthe development, implementation, and monitoring of the ICBs MedicinesCommissioning Strategy.
• Translatenational policy (NICE, NHS England, MHRA) into local commissioning approachesand pathways.
• Providestrategic leadership on prescribing, high-cost drugs, biosimilars, shared careprotocols, and medicines value programmes.
• Ensuremedicines commissioning decisions support ICB priorities around outcomes,quality, financial sustainability, and reducing inequalities.
• Overseemedicines budgets across primary care prescribing.
• Analyseexpenditure trends, identify cost pressures, and implement mitigation plans.

• Leadprogrammes to deliver value, efficiency, and system wide medicinesoptimisation.
• Provideexpert advice to finance, contracting, and clinical colleagues on the financialimpact of new medicines and policy changes.
• Ensurerobust clinical governance for medicines commissioning activities, includingquality impact assessments (QIAs), risk reviews, and clinical safety checks.
• Ensureadherence to NICE technology appraisals, national prescribing guidance, MHRAalerts, and patient safety requirements.
• Supportthe safe implementation of new medicines, treatment pathways, and prescribingpolicies.
• Workwith quality, safety, and provider colleagues to address medicines relatedincidents and learning.
• Leadintegrated medicines optimisation programmes across primary, community, mentalhealth, and acute care.
• SupportPCN and practice based pharmacy teams with prescribing guidance, pathways, andexpert advice.
• Driveevidence based prescribing, reduce unwarranted variation, improve outcomes, andaddress inequalities in medicines use.
• Supportdelivery of system transformation programmes (e.g., long term conditions, UEC,cancer, mental health) with medicines leadership.
• Buildstrong relationships with Chief Pharmacists, medical directors, PCN ClinicalDirectors, GP practices, and community pharmacy.
• Representthe ICB at regional and ICSwide medicines optimisation groups and professionalnetworks.
• Engagewith patients, carers, the VCSE sector, and Healthwatch to shape medicinescommissioning decisions.
• Workwith local authorities on public health priorities, including antimicrobialstewardship, vaccination, and substance misuse.
• Overseeformulary development, review, and governance.
• Ensureprescribing policies, guidelines, shared care protocols, and pathways areclinically robust and aligned system wide
• Supportdecision making groups such as Area Prescribing Committees or MedicinesOptimisation Groups.
• Leadclinical and commissioning impact assessments for new drugs and treatments.
• Providevisible, inclusive leadership and support professional development of pharmacyand commissioning staff.
• Linemanage senior pharmacists, pharmacists, pharmacytechnicians and programme managers as required.
• Fostera culture of learning, collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovationwithin the team and across the system.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience within NHS pharmacy, medicines commissioning, or medicines optimisation.
• Strong understanding of NICE guidance, prescribing policy, high cost drugs, formulary processes, and national medicines frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex budgets and deliver medicines related financial savings.
• Experience leading system wide stakeholder engagement and influencing senior clinical and managerial colleagues.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret prescribing data and provide actionable insight.
• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and change management skills.
• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to operate in a political, complex, multi agency environment.
• Significant experience of managing in a senior role within an NHS organisation or industry employer
• Strong experience in managing projects, including major organisational change/service change.
• Experience of strategic thinking at a senior level and engagement with independent board members and senior executives
• Knowledge and expertise demonstrated through senior management experience gained within the Health sector or Private sector large scale multi-site organisation.
• Demonstrable success in building, leading, motivating, managing and developing teams

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strategic thinker with strong clinical and financial judgement.
• Highly collaborative with the ability to influence clinical and operational leaders.
• Committed to patient safety, clinical excellence, and reducing inequalities.
• Adaptable, resilient, and able to work in complex, politically sensitive environments.
• Passionate about improving outcomes through optimal use of medicines.
• Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations.
• High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and assess options drawing appropriate conclusions. High level critical thinking skills.
• Uses evidence to make improvements, seeks out innovation.
• Actively develops themselves and staff.
• Self-awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers with cultural sensitivity and awareness.
• Demonstrable commitment to partnership working with a range of internal/external organisations.
• Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary.
• Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills
• Excellent influencing, negotiation and communication skills
• Able to assimilate and respond to information quickly making effective decisions
• Highly developed planning and organisational skills, with the ability to plan and undertake own workload without direct supervision and manage competing priorities to meet agreed timeframes.
• Able to manage day to day business challenges, including, staff management, reporting writing and dealing with stakeholder queries, whilst not losing sight of the long-term strategic goals
• The ability to influence and persuade others, creating successful and effective working relationships through strong, positive interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrable ability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Demonstrable ability to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues
• Ability to lead, inspire and motivate others to high performance by agreeing clear goals and objectives, providing support and guidance and creating opportunities for development
• Highly resilient and able to manage multiple competing and often highly political demands.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Evidence of significant post registration experience and continued professional development.
• Postgraduate qualification in leadership, commissioning, or advanced clinical practice or equivalent senior leadership experience.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience within NHS pharmacy, medicines commissioning, or medicines optimisation.
• Strong understanding of NICE guidance, prescribing policy, high cost drugs, formulary processes, and national medicines frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex budgets and deliver medicines related financial savings.
• Experience leading system wide stakeholder engagement and influencing senior clinical and managerial colleagues.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret prescribing data and provide actionable insight.
• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and change management skills.
• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to operate in a political, complex, multi agency environment.
• Significant experience of managing in a senior role within an NHS organisation or industry employer
• Strong experience in managing projects, including major organisational change/service change.
• Experience of strategic thinking at a senior level and engagement with independent board members and senior executives
• Knowledge and expertise demonstrated through senior management experience gained within the Health sector or Private sector large scale multi-site organisation.
• Demonstrable success in building, leading, motivating, managing and developing teams

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strategic thinker with strong clinical and financial judgement.
• Highly collaborative with the ability to influence clinical and operational leaders.
• Committed to patient safety, clinical excellence, and reducing inequalities.
• Adaptable, resilient, and able to work in complex, politically sensitive environments.
• Passionate about improving outcomes through optimal use of medicines.
• Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations.
• High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and assess options drawing appropriate conclusions. High level critical thinking skills.
• Uses evidence to make improvements, seeks out innovation.
• Actively develops themselves and staff.
• Self-awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers with cultural sensitivity and awareness.
• Demonstrable commitment to partnership working with a range of internal/external organisations.
• Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary.
• Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills
• Excellent influencing, negotiation and communication skills
• Able to assimilate and respond to information quickly making effective decisions
• Highly developed planning and organisational skills, with the ability to plan and undertake own workload without direct supervision and manage competing priorities to meet agreed timeframes.
• Able to manage day to day business challenges, including, staff management, reporting writing and dealing with stakeholder queries, whilst not losing sight of the long-term strategic goals
• The ability to influence and persuade others, creating successful and effective working relationships through strong, positive interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrable ability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Demonstrable ability to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues
• Ability to lead, inspire and motivate others to high performance by agreeing clear goals and objectives, providing support and guidance and creating opportunities for development
• Highly resilient and able to manage multiple competing and often highly political demands.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Evidence of significant post registration experience and continued professional development.
• Postgraduate qualification in leadership, commissioning, or advanced clinical practice or equivalent senior leadership experience.

UK Registration

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


Additional information

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board

Address

Parkside House


Quinton Road


Coventry

CV1 2NJ


United Kingdom



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