It is all about the people at East Cheshire NHS Trust. We have a real sense of community, and our values are truly embedded into everything we do, ensuring we are a great and inclusive place to work. You will be supported, developed and empowered throughout your career with us. Come and join us, where you can play your part in helping us deliver outstanding care and improving the health of all the people we serve.

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our Pharmacy Procurement team.

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a friendly, supportive and dedicated team, delivering a high-quality pharmacy procurement service within the Trust.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Methodical, reliable and highly organised
• Able to pay close attention to detail
• A strong team player with good communication skills
• Enthusiastic, motivated and committed to patient safety
• Proficient in working practices associated with NHS hospital pharmacy

You will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including suppliers, finance team, Shared Business Services (SBS), ward staff, pharmacy colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives and the Medicines Procurement and Supply Chain team, to ensure the efficient and timely supply of medicines.

Applicants holding overseas qualifications must provide a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability to confirm that their qualifications meet the essential GCSE requirements for this post.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for a range of procurement and stock management duties, including:

• Ordering and invoicing pharmaceutical goods
• Chasing and resolving overdue orders
• Managing and responding to supply issues
• Maintain accurate EDI system information, uploading updated supplier data monthly and ensuring contracts are correctly matched
• Ensuring adequate stock levels are maintained to support safe and effective patient care
• Respond to urgent medicine requests liaising with suppliers and other NHS hospitals as required. Use effective and persuasive communication skills to secure supply and negotiate delivery arrangements and charges for urgent orders.
• Using own judgement, communicate out‑of‑stock items to pharmacy and other healthcare staff where there is a potential impact on patient care.

You must be able to work under pressure, adapt to changing priorities, and demonstrate effective problem‑solving skills, particularly when dealing with medicine supply challenges.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to providing the best quality integrated care to our patients. To achieve this aim we need highly motivated staff who are united by common values and behaviours.

We believe our workforce is our greatest asset and we actively support our staff to develop their capabilities to the full, with a variety of learning and development opportunities.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or are looking to use your skills and experience in a new role, East Cheshire NHS Trust is the right employer for you. We look forward to you joining us so that we can bring out your best.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 5 GCSE’s A-C or equivalent
• NVQ (National Vocational Qualifications) level 3 in relevant subject or equivalent experience
• ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) or able to demonstrate an equivalent knowledge or experience

Desirable criteria

• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of the need for CPD (Continuing Professional Development)
• Ordering and invoicing processes and stock control

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of NHS hospital pharmacy procurement processes

Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines whilst paying attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Good computer skills and experience
• Ability to proactively problem solve and monitor progress
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team

Desirable criteria

• Experience using spreadsheets and databases
• Experience using NHS hospital pharmacy software

Experience

Essential criteria

• Purchasing/procurement experience and expertise in placing orders/invoicing.
• Working knowledge of systems controlling purchasing e.g. electronic data interchange and ability to resolve difficulties that occur in this area.
• Customer Service experience

Desirable criteria

• NHS hospital pharmacy procurement experience
• NHS Assistant Technical Officer experience
• NHS hospital experience