Director of Pharmacy (Chief Pharmacist)

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Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.

We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.

You'll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.

The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.

We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.

We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.

We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.

Join us and you'll do the best work of your life - and make a difference to other people's lives. What we do together, matters.

Job overview

With the retirement of the current postholder in June 2026, EPUT is seeking a visionary and strategic leader to join our senior leadership team as Director of Pharmacy . This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of mental health and community health services in Essex, working collaboratively across our system and with external partners. You will also help shape the ePMA element of the new integrated ePR/ePMA system Nova, due to launch in 2027 across acute, community and mental health services.

EPUT offer a fantastic relocation package of up to £8,000. Covering a number of expenditures for new recruits relocating from 30 miles or more from their new work base at EPUT. If you would like more information please contact recruitment.adverts@nhs.net

Main duties of the job

As the Director of Pharmacy, you will lead, direct and manage the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Services, providing the highest standards of pharmacy services locally, regional and nationally. Your key responsibilities will include:
• Leading the delivery of services to ensure effective and efficient delivery of pharmaceutical care and support to prescribing.
• Provide leadership to ensure safe, clinically- and cost-effective use of medicines in Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• Drive transformation and improvement initiatives within the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation team, and Care Units generally, where these relate to prescribing and medicines use.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with statutory and governance frameworks
• Act as Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer for the safe management and use of controlled drugs
• Act as Superintendent Pharmacist for the GPhC registered pharmacy premises.

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
• We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
• Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• £8K relocation package if you move to Essex to join us
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

• Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
• Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for the detailed outline of the job requirements.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Master's degree in pharmacy (or equivalent acceptable for GPhC registration)
• Current GPhC registration
• Post graduate degree or qualification
• Management qualification

Knowledge / Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant senior management experience in a complex environment
• Strategy development and implementation
• Collaborative working in a multi-disciplinary setting
• Achieving results against targets
• Knowledge of MH/CHS pharmaceutical care, standards and clinical governance
• Understanding of policy environment
• Interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
• Flexible approach and able to deal with complexity

Desirable criteria

• Project management

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Shares Trust beliefs, behaviours and values
• Self motivated, acts autonomously and motivates others
• Can manage in a changing strategic environment
• Ability to travel across Essex

Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre-employment checks.

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

• Director of Pharmacy (PDF, 334.1KB)
• Director of Pharmacy (PDF, 170.6KB)
• Pharmacy Organisational Chart Jan 2026 (PDF, 185.3KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
• Staff Benefits (PDF, 152.7KB)