About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Deputy Lead Pharmacy Technician with a strong procurement background to join our Pharmacy Procurement team.
You will lead the safe, effective and efficient delivery of pharmacy procurement, including managing medicine shortages, overseeing purchasing, and ensuring robust invoicing processes. Working closely with Procurement, Stores and Distribution leads, you will support continuity of patient care and deliver cost-effective outcomes. You will also line manage the purchasing and invoicing team, supporting development and maintaining a high-performing service.
Key duties include producing monthly reports, maintaining accurate procurement data, monitoring contract compliance, managing off-contract spend and claims, and supporting the Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) by identifying risks and implementing savings. You will ensure stock accuracy, manage supply disruptions, and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, finance teams and regional networks.
Candidates must have proven medicines procurement experience, strong organisational and analytical skills, and experience leading teams. A proactive, solution-focused approach is essential. We offer a supportive environment, development opportunities, and the chance to make a meaningful impact on patient care and NHS resources.
Main duties of the job
1. Organise and line manage the Pharmacy Purchasing and Invoicing teams across allLUHFT sites. Provide support and deputise for the Technical Services Manager asrequired.2. Monitor and manage Commercial Medicines Unit pharmacy contracts and be responsiblefor ensuring the Pharmacy stock control system is kept up to date with the latestinformation.3. Monitor current and forecasted supply disruptions, liaising with the Procurement Pharmacistand taking necessary actions to ensure the safe and effective management of issuesimpacting on the Trust.4. Co-operate with all pharmacy staff in providing and developing an efficient andcomprehensive pharmaceutical service for patients of Liverpool University HospitalsFoundation Trust5. Work in collaboration with the Pharmacy Stores Managers and supervise staff working in thePharmacy Store as necessary.
About us
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.
UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.
Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women's Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
For roles at Liverpool Women's, visit their careers page.
Job description Job responsibilities
1. Ensure all Standard Operating Procedures for the Purchasing and Invoicing of goods areup to date and all staff are trained as per relevant SOPs. To ensure all SOPs reflect goodpractice. Ensure staff training records and all other documentation is completed and up todate.2. Work with the Pharmacy stores managers to ensure stock levels reflect the requirements ofLUHFT Hospitals and external customers in order to limit financial risk to the Trust (egexcessive stock, short expiry dated stock) whilst ensuring adequate availability.3. Monitor sickness absence and complete documentation as required. Carry out wellbeingdiscussions on return to work after sickness absence as per trust policy, escalating anycauses for concern to the Technical Services Manager.4. Monitor, record and approve holiday requests for purchasing and invoicing staff withrespect to staffing levels, workload and planning. Complete monthly approval for lieu time/pay for purchasing and invoicing staff.5. Manage the daily workload of the department including allocation of staff duties, completingrotas and line management of all purchasing and invoicing staff.6. Attend relevant Pharmacy staff meetings on a regular basis and to co-operate with theChief Pharmacist regarding the strategic development of the Pharmacy Purchasing service.7. Carry out annual appraisals for all purchasing and invoicing staff.8. Liaise with and provide information to the Deputy Purchasing Manager and other SeniorPurchasing ATOs in relation to initiating orders for stock items and other special items,directing and prioritising when needed.9. Supervise the Deputy Purchasing Manager, and in their absence operate the ElectronicData Interchange (EDI)/Powergate (electronic purchasing of pharmaceuticals frompharmaceutical suppliers).10. Respond to queries from all staff at Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trustregarding stock supply, lead times, supply issues and provide specialist technical advice onthe procurement of medicines for the trust.11. Lead and organise the purchasing and invoicing staff in maintaining contract details forCMU regional contracts and send contract information to Lloyds pharmacy contacts for bothsites.12. Support the technical services Manager for purchasing by attending CMU North-WestOperational Group meetings when required. Ensure trust specific issues relating tocontracts and contract lines are raised to the Regional Procurement Pharmacist. Attend external meetings relating to purchasing as and when required.13. Ensure mandatory checks of Unlicensed medicines are carried out on receipt of deliveriesin line with MHRA recommendations. Monitor the UL medicines process on all sites toensure SOPs are followed and that documentation is completed and stored appropriately.14. Support Cost Improvement Programmes by ensuring cost savings identified are reportedappropriately.15. Monitor off contract spend and support the purchasing and invoicing team to identify offcontract claims. Oversee the claim submissions to ensure that these are processed in linewith the terms and conditions.16. Utilise reporting within Exend and complete appropriate mapping to ensure externalbenchmarking data is accurate and up to date.17. Monitor efficiency of invoice processing and provide support with invoice discrepancies.18. Liaise with finance colleagues to resolve issues.19. Highlight drug cost pressures to the Procurement Pharmacist and work together to supportthe rational and cost-effective purchase of medicines.20. Be responsible for updating the Stock Manager portal with up-to-date information relating tostock shortages across the trust and work with the Procurement Pharmacist to manageissues.21. Communicate key medicine shortages effectively.22. Develop and maintain a procurement performance dashboard.23. Support the Technical Services Manager for Purchasing by producing monthly reports forinclusion in the departmental KPIs.24. Ensure ordering, invoice and computer documentation is completed and up to date.25. Communicate with a wide range of healthcare professionals, pharmacy staff, externalwholesalers and suppliers on a wide range of issues relating to medicines. This mayinclude advice, guidance, statistical information and or financial information aroundcontracts/invoices as well as stock shortages and issues.26. Support the Pharmacy team with responding to medicine recalls of all classes. Participate in dealing with National Patient Safety alerts and ensure assigned actions are carried out or delegated appropriately.27. Participate in ensuring the pharmacy computer system is operated effectively, automaticreordering levels are acceptable and efficient, prices are up to date and stock levels arecorrect. To liaise with the Pharmacy IM&T Manager / EPMA team when required.28. Locate supplies of medicines in other hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers orwholesalers if required in an emergency.29. Participate in external audits on the service.30. When required, provide a service outside normal working hours for emergencies.31. Undertake appropriate training courses and encourage other staff to undertake furthertraining.32. Participate in completing departmental rotas including Weekend, bank holiday andChristmas Rotas.33. Work flexibly between sites to support the stores managers, including acting as the onsitesupervisor at the Pharmacy off-site store. Provide cover for annual leave of the StoresManager and sickness when required, possibly at short notice. Responsible for being akey-holder for the store and ensuring security of the site and staff, as well as opening andlocking up the store.34. Participate and co-operate with weekend, bank holiday, statutory holiday, early morningand evening services as per departmental arrangements.35. Support the Technical Services Managers across the trust with recruitment when required.36. Support equality and promote diversity.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent with appropriate underpinning knowledge. Registration with General Pharmaceutical Society
Desirable
BTEC level 4 Diploma in Dispensing Accuracy Checking / equivalent
Experience Essential
Demonstrable previous experience of working as a technician leader in a busy pharmacy environment. Experience of working in a purchasing environment including medicine ordering and contract management.
Desirable
Previous experience of working in a pharmacy stores environment, providing a ward stock service
Knowledge Essential
Extended knowledge of the Pharmacy stock control system and other IT systems used in pharmacy purchasing.
Desirable
Extended knowledge of JAC/Wellsky/CMM
Skills Essential
Ability to use IT programmes and packages to support role Excellent attention to detail
Other Essential
Evidence of continuous professional development Willingness to be flexible and able to work between sites at short notice Enthusiasm for the position Enthusiasm for service development and innovation. Willingness to undertake further training as necessary
Skills Essential
Ability to use IT programmes and packages to support role
Other Essential
Willingness to be flexible and able to work between sites at short notice. Enthusiasm for the position. Enthusiasm for service development and innovation. Willingness to undertake further training as necessary
Experience Essential
Proven record in managing change Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team Development and review of SOP Human resources experience. Utilisation of departmental and trust policies to manage staff.
Desirable
Appraising staff Experience of identifying and driving cost savings through good purchasing practice Experience of responding to and co-ordinating actions from medicine recall notifications Experience of recruitment process Experience of leading meetings
Knowledge Essential
Demonstrable knowledge of Pharmacy contracts, Frameworks and other purchasing related agreements Knowledge of external bodies pertaining to purchase of medicines and their role in hospital pharmacy procurement. Knowledge of MHRA regulations for procurement of Unlicensed Medicines.
Desirable
Knowledge of invoicing processes and terms of sale to NHS trusts.
Skills Essential
Ability to create, maintain and analyse reports Ability to solve complex technical problems. Ability to review and adapt as and when circumstances dictate. Ability to provide expert technical advice to a range of healthcare professionals within the trust and externally Excellent organisational and time management skills Ability to prioritise workload for self and the team Logical thought process Assertiveness Have a pro-active approach Articulate and confident when communicating with others Self-motivating and able to motivate/inspire others Ability to work effectively under pressure whilst continuing to deliver key targets
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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 Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address Aintree University Hospital
Lower Lane
Liverpool
L7 9AL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)