About this role
Job summary
Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group brings together three acute hospitals to deliver high-quality, safe, and compassionate care across the region. We are committed to innovation, research, and continuous improvement, ensuring our services meet the needs of patients now and in the future.
As part of this transformation, we are seeking an exceptional leader to join us as Group Chief Pharmacist--a pivotal role in shaping medicines optimisation and pharmacy services across our hospitalsThe Group Chief Pharmacist is the professional lead for pharmacy and medicines optimisation across the hospital group. This executive-level position provides strategic, professional, and operational leadership, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and financially sustainable pharmacy services across all three sites.
You will act as the senior accountable officer for medicines management, providing expert advice to the Board and senior clinicians, and ensuring compliance with statutory, regulatory, and clinical standards. This role also offers the opportunity to influence policy at regional and national levels, champion digital transformation, and lead research and innovation in pharmacy practice.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a highly experienced and visionary pharmacy leader who can inspire teams and deliver transformation at scale.
Essential Requirements:
Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Extensive senior-level pharmacy leadership experience within an acute NHS Trust or similar complex organisation. Proven track record in strategic planning, medicines governance, and service transformation. Strong financial and workforce management skills. Ability to influence at system and national level. Desirable:
Leadership or management qualification relevant to the NHS. Experience contributing to national policy development. Evidence of research and innovation in pharmacy practice.
About us
The newly formed Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is placing people and culture at the heart of its transformation.
By working as one system, the Group is strengthening workforce development, improving staff experience, and creating consistent, supportive leadership across all three hospitals. This unified approach enables better training, enhanced well-being support, and a stronger culture rooted in compassion, flexibility, and continuous learning.
Focusing on people also supports national priorities--ensuring the workforce is skilled, adaptable, and ready for future models of care--and strengthens NWUHG's overall performance by improving quality, resilience, and sustainability.
Together, this creates a Groupwide commitment to making NWUHG a great place to work, with clear benefits for staff including:
Flexible working hours
Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
Discounted gym memberships
Generous pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
Support in career development
Flexible staff bank
Salary Sacrifice schemes
Job description Job responsibilities
The Group Chief Pharmacist is the most senior pharmacy professional across the hospitals within the Group and reports directly to the Group Chief Medical Officer. The postholder holds corporate responsibility for pharmacy services, medicines optimisation and management, medicines governance and statutory compliance across the hospital group, and provides strategic leadership to ensure delivery of safe, effective and financially sustainable pharmacy services.The postholder will provide executive-level clinical and professional leadership, ensuring the safe, high-quality and cost-effective delivery of comprehensive pharmacy services across the hospitals within the Group. They will act as the principal subject matter expert for pharmacy and medicines matters, providing professional advice, assurance and reports to the Board and relevant committees through the Group Chief Medical Officer, while supporting workforce development, quality improvement, research and innovation across the hospital group.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Experience Essential
Extensive senior level pharmacy leadership and managerial experience within an acute NHS Trust (or comparatively large and complex multi- disciplinary organisation).
Skills abilities and knowledge Essential
Experience of developing and implementing transformation programmes, including the management of service change, operational process improvement and cost reduction Form successful working relationships with pharmacy colleagues in other NHS Trusts and across boundaries Lead and influence others including other healthcare professionals and senior managers
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).
Employer details Employer name Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Address Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group
The Centrum, Norwich Research Park
Norwich
NR4 7UG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)