Head of Clinical Trials Pharmacy

NHS
Southampton
3 weeks ago
Create job alert
Job Summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for detailed job description of the role.


Main duties of the job

Head of Pharmacy Clinical Trials – University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). UHS is offering an exciting opportunity to lead our established and highly regarded Clinical Trials Pharmacy team. In this lead role, you will manage a team of over 30 staff, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy assistants, delivering pharmacy services for more than 250 clinical trials across a wide range of clinical specialties. This is a unique and challenging leadership position within pharmacy practice. You will work closely with UHS Research & Development, collaborate with local NHS trusts, and contribute to national groups shaping best practice in the pharmacy management of clinical trials. The role offers significant scope to influence service development, support innovation, and ensure the safe and effective delivery of clinical trial medicines. This post is ideal for an experienced pharmacy leader with a significant experience in clinical research/trials and service improvement.


About Us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations. Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast. We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI‑generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information. At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients. At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti‑racist, anti‑discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.


Details

  • Date posted: 09 February 2026
  • Pay scheme: Agenda for change
  • Band: Band 8a
  • Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year
  • Contract: Permanent
  • Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working
  • Reference number: 188-CL100226
  • Job locations: University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD

Job Description

Leading the Clinical Trials Pharmacy team, you will work closely with UHS Research & Development and provide specialist advice on the pharmacy management of clinical trials. The role supports research activity across UHS and locally, including the Wessex Research Hubs, local NHS trusts, and the University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Specific to this role is the suitability for agile working which is a mixture of on‑site and remote working. In addition, we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what's possible for the role and service. The postholder will be responsible for the strategic development of the Clinical Trials Pharmacy service, ensuring delivery against local and national KPIs, and will be a key member of the senior pharmacy leadership team at UHS.


Essential Prior Experience

  • Management of a large, diverse team, including budgetary responsibility
  • Experience of working in hospital pharmacy clinical trials or a Research & Development environment

Person Specification
Trust Values

  • Patient First
  • Always Improving
  • Working Together

Previous or relevant experience necessary

  • Significant post qualification experience in a hospital setting including a management role
  • Highly specialised experience within research or clinical trials
  • Staff recruitment, appraisal, performance and absence management
  • Audit and service review
  • Budget management

Desirable

  • Working with agencies external to Trust

Qualifications / training required

  • Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the General Pharmaceutical Council
  • Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience with specialist training/experience in clinical trials or related subject
  • Management training /experience to intermediate level
  • Good Clinical Practice certification. Other relevant pharmacy or research qualifications e.g. ACPT, PIPC, Medicines Management

Desirable

  • Leadership training

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. 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.


UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.


Employer details

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
University Hospital Southampton
Tremona Road
Southampton
SO16 6YD
Employer's website: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Head of Clinical Trials Pharmacy — Lead, Innovation & Strategy

Head of Clinical Trials Pharmacy

Aseptic / Clinical Trials Pharmacist

Aseptic / Clinical Trials Pharmacist

Aseptic / Clinical Trials Pharmacist

HCP Liaison Manager

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How Many Medical Technology Tools Do You Need to Know to Get a Medical Technology Job?

If you’re pursuing a career in medical technology, it can feel like the toolkit is endlessly long: imaging systems, data analysis software, regulatory platforms, testing frameworks, prototyping tools, CAD, quality management systems, signal processing libraries and more. Scroll job boards or LinkedIn, and it’s easy to think you need to know every tool under the sun just to secure an interview. Here’s the honest truth most hiring managers won’t explicitly tell you: 👉 They don’t hire you because you know every tool — they hire you because you understand the underlying principles and can apply the right tool in the right context to solve real problems. Tools matter — absolutely — but they are secondary to problem-solving ability, clinical awareness, engineering rigour and the ability to deliver safe, reliable solutions. So how many medical technology tools do you actually need to know to get a job? For most job seekers, the answer is far fewer than you think. This article explains what employers really want, which tools are core, which are role-specific, and how to focus your learning so you look confident, competent and end-game ready.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Medical Technology Job Applications (UK Guide)

Medical technology (MedTech) is one of the most dynamic and high-impact sectors in the UK — spanning medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, AI-assisted systems, wearables, imaging, robotics and clinical software. At the same time, hiring managers are exceptionally selective because MedTech roles demand technical excellence, regulated safety awareness, clinical context and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Whether you’re applying for roles in R&D, engineering, quality & regulatory, clinical validation, product management or software development for medical systems, hiring managers don’t read every word of your CV. They scan it quickly — often deciding within the first 10–20 seconds whether to continue reading. This guide breaks down exactly what hiring managers look for first in medical technology applications — and how you can make your CV, portfolio and cover letter stand out in the UK market.

The Skills Gap in Medical Technology Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

Medical technology — also known as medtech — is transforming healthcare. Innovations in diagnostics, imaging, wearable sensors, robotics, telehealth, digital therapeutics and advanced prosthetics are improving outcomes and saving lives. As the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) modernises and a thriving life sciences sector expands, demand for medtech professionals is growing rapidly. Yet employers across the UK consistently report a frustrating problem: many graduates are not ready for real medtech jobs. Despite strong academic credentials, candidates often lack the practical, interdisciplinary skills needed to contribute effectively from day one. This is not a question of effort or intelligence. It is a widening skills gap between university education and the applied demands of medical technology roles. This article explores that gap in depth — what universities are teaching well, where programmes fall short, why the gap persists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build thriving careers in medical technology.