Deputy Chief Pharmacist

Job summary
This exciting opportunity has arisen for an experience and motivated pharmacist to join our senior pharmacy leadership team as Deputy Chief Pharmacist.

Working alongside the chief pharmacist and seconded DCP, you will play a key leadership role in supporting the strategic and operational delivery of pharmacy services across the trust. This fixed-term opportunity has arisen while the substantive DCP support the implementation of the trust's new EPR system.

Thie role offers an excellent opportunity to develop senior leadership experience while contributing to service improvement, medicines optimisation and the delivery of high-quality, safe patient care.

We are looking for an enthusiastic pharmacist with

• Significant clinical pharmacy experience in a hospital setting
• A post graduate qualification in clinical pharmacist (or equivalent)
• Experience in line management, leadership and service development
• Project management experience, with the ability to lead and deliver change
• A strong commitment to medicines safety and clinical governance
• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and critical thinking skills
• Outstanding communication, listening and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and support MDTs

The successful candidate will participate in the weekend, late evening and Pharmacy on call rotas on a rotational basis (unless on the Trust tactical on-call rota).

Main duties of the job
As DCP you will support the Chief Pharmacist, in leading the department and ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centred pharmacy services. You will contribute to strategic planning, workforce development, quality improvement and the implementation of service developments across the trust.

You will deputise for the Chief Pharmacist in their absence, line manage a number of pharmacists and senior pharmacy technicians and represent the pharmacy team at Trust and ICS level, providing input into pathways and initiatives that involve the use of medicines

Responsibilities will be shared with the job share post holder, how they are assigned will depend on the strengths and relative skill set of the successful candidate.

About us
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the UK's leading heart and lung hospital, delivering care to more than 50,000 patients a year in its new state-of-the-art hospital in Cambridge. We perform the most heart and/or lung transplants in the UK and carried out the UK's first successful heart transplant in 1979. It also offers emergency heart attack treatment, sleep centre care and is one of just five centres nationally for those in severe respiratory failure.

Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe the Trust is at the heart of treatments of the future. Royal Papworth became the first hospital trust in the country to be rated outstanding in all five areas assessed by the Care Quality Commission - a rating it still holds today. The Trust holds its values of compassion, excellence & collaboration at its core, and all colleagues joining the team are expected to uphold these in their day-to-day roles & interactions. Royal Papworth is proud of its diverse workforce and encourages people to embrace their individuality. The Trust values difference and welcomes all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex and sexual orientation. Providing they meet the minimum post criteria, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview.

For a street view tour: Apply through our website.

Details
Date posted: 03 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Salary: £79,504 to £91,609 a year
Contract: Secondment
Duration: 16 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 175-2627-PH1933
Job locations: Royal Papworth Hospital, Papworth Road, Cambridge Bio Medical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AY, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
On this page you will find a Role Profile which provides information about the hospital and full details about the role. We recommend that you review this and refer to it as you complete your application. Please include how you will meet the Trust Values Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. If you would like more information about the role or working at Royal Papworth Hospital, please get in touch with the contact for this role.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Vocational masters degree in Pharmacy
• GPhC registered/practising pharmacist
• Higher degree/diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
• Post graduate experience in hospital pharmacy
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development

Desirable

• GPhC accredited pre-registration tutor
• Experience as a clinical diploma tutor
• Supplementary / Independent prescriber

Experience
Essential

• Experience as an effective clinical practitioner
• Demonstrates expert clinical knowledge and skills, through training and experience
• Demonstrates advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement
• Experience in provision of education and training to staff with varying ability levels
• Experience in Clinical Audit
• Experience in leading, supervising and managing staff
• Experience in Project management
• Demonstrates the ability to identify and prioritise management and clinical workload
• Has the ability to identify and manage risks
• Can work autonomously, demonstrates self motivation and is able to meet set targets
• Can demonstrate innovation and practice change
• Ability to effect and manage change
• Able to work to targets and meet tight deadlines
• Demonstrates the ability to collaborate with and influence pharmacy, medical, nursing and management colleagues

Desirable

• Demonstrates active participation in Multi-disciplinary healthcare research

Additional Criteria
Essential

• Please provide evidence of your commitment to uphold the Trust's values: Compassion, Excellence, Collaboration
• Flexible approach to working hours and practices
• Able to undertake out of hours (Emergency Duty) commitment

Desirable

• High level IT skills

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 (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Papworth Hospital, Papworth Road, Cambridge Bio Medical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AY, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Hiring Manager: Acting deputy chief pharmacist (job share)
Email: jenny.harrison1@nhs.net
Telephone: 01223638745