Senior Purchasing Officer

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is one of the largest healthcare systems in the UK employing around 40,000 staff in a wide range of clinical and non-clinical professions and job roles. We deliver acute hospital, primary, community and mental health care services to a population of over 1.15 million and a wider population of 2.2 million when our regional and national services are included.

The shift pattern for this post is Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm early finish 1 day per week 37hrs per week

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Pharmacy Services

Pharmacy Distribution Centre (PDC)

Senior Purchasing Officer

Band 4

Full Time – 37 hours

Permanent

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our friendly purchasing team at NHSGGC Pharmacy Distribution Centre (PDC), in a fast-paced, dynamic, and automated environment at the heart of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's pharmacy services.

The PDC is a modern, high-volume, and state-of-the-art facility responsible for the automated procurement and distribution of all medicines and vaccines across hospitals, clinics, and community pharmacies in the region including Argyll & Bute in NHS Highland. We have three key operational areas at the PDC:

• Unit F Warehouse
• Unit F Office Team, which includes the Purchasing and Homecare teams
• Unit C Vaccine Holding Centre

Within the warehouse, 10 automated robots support the accurate and efficient distribution of medicines, ensuring timely delivery to meet clinical need across all service areas.

As one of the largest automated hospital pharmacy projects in the UK, we use cutting-edge robotic systems to ensure the highest standards of safety, quality, and efficiency in our service delivery.

The post holder will act as an authorised signatory for medicine purchases and ensure the seamless and compliant procurement of pharmaceutical products from our network of suppliers in line with NHS GGC Standing Financial Instructions. The role directs processes associated with our Pharmacy Stock Management system and participates in the review of stock holding including investigation of any stock discrepancies.

Hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (finish early one day a week), 5/7 whole week working and participate in our Public Holiday rota.

What you will be doing:

• Act as an authorised signatory for medicines purchases.
• Coordinate and prioritise daily workload.
• Monitor and review outstanding orders and take action to prevent unreasonable delays.
• Source alternative products and communicate updates to relevant staff groups.
• Contribute to the implementation of national contracts and update and develop master product files in the Pharmacy Stock Management system.
• Participate in staff training and development, including TURAS appraisals.
• Manage stock control processes and investigate discrepancies.
• Populate staff rotas to ensure full operational coverage on a daily basis.

What you will bring:

• General education, basic numeracy and literacy skills demonstrated by 3 Standard Grade Qualifications or equivalent, must include English and Maths.
• Comprehensive IT and typing skills and proficiency in using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Commitment to working towards achievement of relevant SVQ qualifications.
• Experience of working in a healthcare, pharmacy or customer facing role.
• Experience of stock management.
• Experience of leading and managing staff.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in staff training and development.
• Willingness to learn new skills and participate in training.
• Ability to organise and prioritise daily tasks using own initiative to meet service needs.
• Ability to work to set procedures.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Good understanding of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and relevant legislation under the Wholesale Dealer’s License (WDA(H)).
• Working knowledge of Standing Financial Instructions.

You will be supported to develop your skills and knowledge in line with service requirements and professional standards.

If you are passionate about contributing to safe and effective medicines distribution and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, please contact Sandy Kuhse, Pharmacy Technician Specialist on 0141 347 8985 or Maxine Bain, Senior Purchasing Officer on 0141 347 8972 for more information or an informal discussion.

Details on how to contact the Recruitment Service and the Recruitment Process: Information for candidates

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde- NHS Scotland encourages applications from all sections of the community. We promote a culture of inclusion across the organisation and are proud of the diverse workforce we have. 

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, NHSGGC has pledged its commitment to being a Forces Friendly Employer. We support applications from across the Armed Forces Community, recognising military skills, experience and qualifications during the recruitment and selection process. 

Candidates should provide original and authentic responses to all questions within the application form. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), automated tools, or other third-party assistance to generate, draft, or significantly modify responses is strongly discouraged. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced or altered by AI or similar technologies. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your application being withdrawn from the application process.

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