Production and Operations Manager - Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit

Main duties of the job
This pivotal senior leadership role is responsible for leading all operational aspects of our licensed Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit, delivering high-quality services to patients across Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and beyond. The successful candidate will play a critical role in ensuring regulatory compliance, operational excellence, workforce development and the strategic growth of our manufacturing services

The unit is one of the largest NHS licensed units in the UK and provides a range of aseptic products to Portsmouth Hospital University NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trust and multiple other NHS Trusts across the UK.

About us
Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Job responsibilities

• Lead all operational activities within the Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit, ensuring safe, effective and efficient production services.
• Act as the person responsible for production under the MHRA licence and maintain compliance with GMP and GDP requirements.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for aseptic, chemotherapy, TPN and non-sterile manufacturing services.
• Lead service improvement, business planning and future development of manufacturing services across the Trust and wider healthcare system.
• Manage substantial staffing, drug procurement and operational budgets.
• Work closely with senior clinicians, Quality Assurance teams, regional partners and external customers to ensure continuity of supply and excellent patient outcomes.
• Support innovation, performance improvement and organisational change within a highly regulated environment.

Why join our Pharmacy team?
At Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are committed to delivering outstanding patient care and continually improving our services. You will join a forward-thinking pharmacy leadership team and have the opportunity to shape the future of pharmacy manufacturing services across the Trust and wider Integrated Care System.

We offer:

• A challenging and rewarding senior leadership role
• Opportunities to influence regional pharmaceutical manufacturing strategy
• Access to leadership development programmes
• A supportive and collaborative working environment
• A commitment to professional development and continuous learning

Qualifications
Essential

• Pharmacist or pharmacy technician registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, or Science Manufacturing Unit registered with the relevant Professional body.
• Up-to-date training in Good Manufacturing Practice, Good Distribution Practice and Good Clinical Practice.
• Specialist professional training in aseptic manufacturing (e.g. Diploma or MSc in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance) or equivalent experience (minimum 10 years working in aseptic manufacturing).
• Specialist operational management training or equivalent experience.

Experience
Essential

• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician.
• Significant experience of MHRA inspection process for licensed aseptic production unit.
• Operational Management pharmacy experience within a large aseptic production unit.
• Significant experience of successful working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Successful performance as a directorate/team leader at senior level in a previous post.
• Successful planning and implementing significant service developments and organisational change.
• Experience of successfully managing large groups of staff.
• Proven ability to work independently at an advanced level.
• Proven ability to deliver innovations within service delivery.
• Demonstrated evidence of being able to manage change and improve service quality within Production services.

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.

Reference number: REF2721S
Closing date: 08 November 2026

Apply through our website.