Pharmacy Quality Assurance Lead

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients' own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact or phone .

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

Our Quality Assurance department provides services to our own trust and a number of commercial and other NHS clients. As part of the broader Pharmacy department we are ambitious, continually looking to be developing our services and are committed to the development of our staff.

We are looking for a Microbiologist who has experience of NHS or pharmaceutical and environmental monitoring and is looking to lead and develop a small team in providing NHS and commercial client services.

Main duties of the job

As the manager of the microbiology section of the Pharmacy Quality Control Laboratory, the post holder is expected to ensure that Good Laboratory Practice standards are maintained in accordance with national standards and MHRA licensed status.

Working knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacture, likely contaminates, good clean room design, and environmental pathogens will all be advantageous.

Client relations, the ability to clearly advise customers of the implications of testing, and guidance in actions to be taken are essential.

Supporting clients and your host trust in quality assurance matters including Quality Management Systems, Internal and External Audit process.

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

As part of our BHT family, you'll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.

Alongside NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme, you'll have access to NHS discount schemes.

We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

What do we stand for?

Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.

Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.

We are working hard to increase diversity at all levels within the trust. We believe a diverse workforce can have a positive effect on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.

We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, candidates with disabilities and care-experienced candidates.

We are proud to achieve the Gold award for the Armed Forces Covenant and support applications from the Armed Forces Community. Please contact (our Armed Forces Covenant Lead) if you would like guidance or assistance with your application.

We make employment decisions by matching our service needs with the skills and experience of candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

Person specification Education, Qualification and Training

• MSc Microbiology or other related biological Science.
• Diploma or Higher Certificate in Leadership and Management

Experience

• Significant experience of working in a microbiology laboratory/ environmental monitoring
• Experience in quality inspection and audits (EL(97) , MHRA)
• Experience of devising, implementing and reviewing policies and procedures
• Experience of design and delivery of development activities such as training, validation etc.
• Experience in operational planning and management (leading people, team performance monitoring, change management, recruitment and selection)
• Experience of budget management, supplier selection, procurement, contract negotiation with NHS clients
• Evidence of operational planning
• Experience of MHRA audit, aseptic systems, clean room operation

Skills, Ability and Knowledge

• Knowledge of Pharmaceutical Quality Management System
• Ability to write validation protocol, reports, procedures
• Ability to plan, organise, train and lead a team
• Knowledge of variety of microbiological testing methods, interpretation of results.
• Communication with clients of results and implications for process / performance
• Clear understanding of regulatory requirement
• Able to communicate routine information effectively using clear written and spoken English and overcome barriers to understanding
• Able to use computer programmes such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook
• Ability to work across disciplines and to liaise closely with stakeholders
• Knowledge of motivation, delegation, improvement performance, coaching and mentoring techniques
• Knowledge how to manage conflict at all levels
• Ability to identify and share good practice and work collaboration with others - both inside and outside of the organisation
• Ability to input into strategic planning and create plans in line with departmental objectives
• Knowledge of setting up and manging a project using relevant tools and techniques
• Good understanding of risk management, quality assurance and complaints handling
• Delivering team performance
• Strategic planning
• Project management

Special Circumstances

• Able to travel to customer sites within the Trust and customer sites outside the Trust
• Able to comply with requirements for clean room operation and working within semi sterile environments

PPE requirements:Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.

Contacting you: We will contact candidates through the email address supplied on their application form. Please make sure you check this regularly.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.