Band 5 PA to Group Chief Pharmacist / Pharmacy Office Manager

The Pharmacy Services of the Royal Free London are seeking to appoint a Personal Assistant to the Group Chief Pharmacist from January 2025, based at the Royal Free Hospital site Hampstead, North London. The successful candidate will be an experienced PA who can provide a comprehensive secretarial and administrative service to the Group Chief Pharmacist, the Deputy Group Chief Pharmacist, and liaise closely with other senior Pharmacy management across the Trust Sites. An ability to use tact and discretion to a high and consistent degree is essential for the smooth running of this post and for the functions of the Royal Free Pharmacy office.

Main duties of the job:

• The postholder will work closely with all Pharmacy section leads, colleagues from the hospital executive teams, colleagues from other NHS Trusts, and where necessary personnel from other external bodies to assist in achieving agreed performance and productivity targets and mutually agreed projects and service improvement initiatives.
• The successful candidate will need to demonstrate an ability to run a number of projects/tasks simultaneously, work under pressure, have excellent forward planning skills, a flexible approach to working to ensure deadlines are met, and have strong Microsoft Office skills especially Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Experience of using NHS Recruitment software TRAC and PECOS procurement software would be an advantage; however, training can be provided.

Person specification:

• Royal Free World Class Values: Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values.
• Education & professional Qualifications: A Level standard of education or equivalent, European Computer Driving Licence (ICDL), RSA / Pitman Secretarial Qualification or proven work experience to a similar standard, Evidence of Continuing Professional Development in the Company Secretary or Corporate Governance field.
• Experience: Proven secretarial experience preferably in a hospital environment, Proven experience working with senior/executive management, Ability to take and produce detailed meeting minutes and action logs and follow up in an effective and timely manner, Experience of investigating and drafting complaint responses for senior staff perusal, Experience of liaising with a range of hospital colleagues and external bodies as workload and duties demand.
• Skills and aptitudes: Able to keep track of multiple tasks/projects, Able to demonstrate problem-solving skills, Able to plan, organise large events/meetings for a wide range of healthcare professionals and other external organisations, Excellent command of written and spoken English, Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills.
• Personal Qualities & attributes: Tactful when dealing with a wide range of staff, patients, and visitors to the Trust, Diplomatic in managing potentially awkward situations, Ability to carry out day-to-day responsibilities and deal effectively with unpredictable demands that may arise, High awareness of the need to act in a confidential, objective, and discrete manner in relation to potentially a wide range of individual and department issues, Willing and able to work flexibly to meet deadlines (particularly around DTC meetings).
• Others: Demonstrative initiative, Ability to work independently and as part of a team, Flexible, able to change priorities quickly within current workload if necessary/requested, Ability to work under pressure.

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.