Head of Pharmacy Clinical Trials

Head of Pharmacy Clinical Trials

The closing date is 26 July 2026

We are looking for an experienced clinical trials pharmacist to join the UCLH Senior Pharmacy Leadership Team as Head of Pharmacy Clinical Trials, leading and developing the Pharmacy Clinical Trials Unit.

This is a newly created post, providing strategic, clinical, and operational leadership across a portfolio of approximately 600 commercial and non-commercial studies, with significant cancer, neurology, and early phase programmes. The experienced team of 30 has grown substantially over recent years in line with UCLH's commitment to research delivery. You will lead on the strategy to meet the Trust's research ambitions and national priorities. You will ensure patient access to novel and advanced investigational therapies through safe and efficient pharmacy services, and contribute to national guideline and policy development through the Shelford Group, NIHR Pharmacy Working Group, and ATMP networks, at the forefront of clinical trials pharmacy practice.

Main duties of the job

You will act as the Trust's senior expert on investigational medicinal products and ATIMPs, ensuring compliance with GCP, legislation, and regulatory frameworks, and providing assurance to internal and external auditors and regulators.

You will lead the dedicated pharmacist and technician team working across a complex and varied portfolio, driving service improvement, managing risk, and ensuring the PCTU has the capacity and capability to meet growing research demand. This will involve working closely with R&D, clinical teams, sponsors, and national networks to ensure pharmacy keeps pace with the Trust's research ambitions.

As a member of the Pharmacy Senior Management Team you will contribute to the wider strategic development of pharmacy services, and deputise for the Chief and Deputy Chief Pharmacists on matters relating to clinical trials and ATIMPs.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospital
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world-class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

• Registration as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or General Pharmacy Practice or equivalent experience
• Substantial broad-based experience as an NHS hospital pharmacy practitioner
• Demonstrable and significant operational management and supervisory experience in clinical trials in NHS hospitals, including working as part of a senior multidisciplinary team
• Accreditation in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for Pharmacy Staff
• Higher degree (PhD or research MSc)
• Advanced practitioner as defined by the Advanced and Consultant Level Framework (ACLF)
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) membership
• Recognised as a national and/or international expert practitioner

Experience

• Specialist NHS hospital clinical pharmacy expertise and experience
• Recent and extensive experience of clinical trials work in a hospital pharmacy or pharmaceutical industry setting
• Recent and extensive experience of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products & biological safety.
• Recent and extensive experience of designing and using digital systems to improve operational efficiency and patient safety.
• Experience in management of others including assessing and appraising staff.
• Experience of working successfully with all levels of medical, nursing, pharmacy, R&D and pharmaceutical industry staff.
• Experience of leading and contributing to clinical trials audits and responding to finding from such audits.
• Leads clinical audit and demonstrable evidence of use of clinical audit to improve practice
• Research publications

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrable evidence of evaluation of service provision and ability to innovate to transform services provided

Personal and People Development

• Previous experience in delivering education and training at a postgraduate level
• Actively seeks novel opportunities to meet training needs, and evaluates the training provided

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.

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£88,250 to £100,355 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS