Pharmacy Lead in Preston

Pharmacy Lead in Preston

Preston Full-Time No working from home possible
Your World Recruitment Group

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead pharmacy operations, ensuring high standards in dispensing and compliance.
  • Company: Join a fast-growing pharmacy operation with real ownership and visibility.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, 31 days annual leave, birthday leave, and profit share scheme.
  • Other info: Dynamic, technology-first environment with excellent career progression opportunities.
  • Why this job: Be a foundational part of a significant pharmacy operation and grow your career.
  • Qualifications: Experience in high-volume pharmacy operations and strong leadership skills.

Terms and Benefits

  • Salary: £45,000–£65,000 per annum depending on experience
  • Contract: Permanent, full time
  • Annual leave: 31 days inclusive of bank holidays
  • Additional leave: half a day per year of service, up to two additional days
  • Birthday leave: one additional day off on your birthday
  • Location: on-site, Walton Summit, Bamber Bridge, Preston
  • Probation: 6 months
  • Profit share scheme and equity options scheme in development

This is a senior hire into a business at an inflection point. We are small enough that you will have real ownership and real visibility, and growing fast enough that what you build now will matter for years. The person who joins this role will not be a number. They will be a foundational part of how we build and run one of the UK's most significant pharmacy operations.

You will report directly to our Head of Operations — a highly experienced clinical pharmacist — who will work closely with you on governance, quality, and operational strategy. This is a role for someone ready to lead, not be led.

Beyond this role, as the business continues to grow — and it is growing fast — leads become heads, and heads become directors. We are building a leadership team for the long term, and we want people who want to grow with the business, not pass through it.

The Role

You will own the pharmacy operation end to end — dispensing, checking, and fulfilment — alongside accountability for the governance, compliance, and people infrastructure that underpins it. This is a hands-on operational leadership role. You will be on the floor, running the day-to-day, and ensuring the operation performs to the highest standard. Stepping back from the detail is something you will earn over time by building the right team and systems around you — it is not a given from day one.

You will be working within a modern, technology-first environment. We run our own proprietary order management and prescribing systems, with deep API integrations across our client base. You will need to get to grips with our systems quickly and be comfortable operating in a digital-first way. This is not a role for someone who thinks in terms of traditional pharmacy workflows.

This role requires significant experience at scale. We are ideally looking for candidates who have operated in high-volume, technology-enabled pharmacy environments — but we are open to candidates from community pharmacy backgrounds where they can clearly demonstrate the volume, leadership capability, and digital mindset this role demands. What we are not looking for is someone whose experience is limited to managing a small community branch at low volume.

Relevant backgrounds include:

  • Hub and spoke pharmacy operations
  • Distance selling pharmacy
  • High-volume online or digital pharmacy
  • Centralised dispensing or fulfilment-led operations

Essential:

  • Proven experience leading or operating within a high-volume dispensary and fulfilment operation — 20,000+ items per month minimum
  • Strong people leadership — building, managing, and developing a team under sustained pressure
  • Operational instinct — throughput management, bottleneck resolution, capacity planning
  • Modern, digital-first mindset — comfortable with technology, proprietary systems, and fast moving operational environments
  • Governance and compliance awareness — able to support regulatory standards, contribute to incident management, and help represent the operation to auditors and regulators alongside senior clinical leadership
  • Professional documentation capability — SOPs, incident logs, regulatory-grade records written to a high standard
  • Data-literate — tracking KPIs, interpreting performance data, using it to drive decisions
  • High personal standards

Professional background:

  • Registered pharmacist or Accuracy Checking Technician (ACT) — GPhC registered where applicable
  • Candidates from other backgrounds will be considered where direct, relevant high-volume operational and leadership experience is clearly demonstrated

Pharmacy Lead in Preston employer: Your World Recruitment Group

As a Pharmacy Lead at our rapidly growing operation in Walton Summit, Bamber Bridge, you will enjoy a unique opportunity to make a significant impact within a supportive and dynamic environment. With competitive salaries, generous annual leave, and a focus on employee growth, we foster a culture where your contributions are valued and your career can flourish. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that prioritises innovation and leadership development, ensuring that you are not just an employee, but a key player in shaping the future of pharmacy operations.

Your World Recruitment Group

Contact Details:

Your World Recruitment Group Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Pharmacy Lead in Preston

Unlock Networking Opportunities

Dive into industry-specific events like pharmaceutical conferences and seminars, where you can meet hiring managers from companies like Your World Recruitment Group. These are goldmines for making connections and learning about job openings before they hit the mainstream job boards.

Join Relevant Professional Bodies

Get involved with organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society or your local pharmaceutical professionals' network. Being an active member can boost your credibility and may even lead to job referrals in top organisations like Your World Recruitment Group.

Leverage Internships for Full-time Roles

If you can, consider pursuing internships in the pharmaceutical industry, especially with companies like Your World Recruitment Group. These opportunities often pave the way for full-time positions and allow you to demonstrate your capabilities firsthand.

Tailor Your Approach

When you're applying for roles, don't rush it! Take the time to customise your applications for specific positions, showcasing relevant skills and experiences that align with what Your World Recruitment Group is looking for. A tailored application can really make you stand out!

We think you need these skills to ace Pharmacy Lead in Preston

Leadership Skills
Operational Management
Governance and Compliance Awareness
Digital Mindset
High-Volume Dispensing Experience
Team Building and Development
Throughput Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Showcase Your Relevant Experience:When applying for a role in the pharmaceutical industry, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Whether that's internships, lab work, or even related coursework, make sure to weave this into your CV and cover letter. We want to see how your background aligns with the role you're applying for at Your World Recruitment Group!

Emphasise Your Understanding of Regulations:The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, so it's important to indicate your familiarity with industry standards and regulations. In your cover letter, mention any training or certifications you've received that are relevant, or discuss projects where you’ve navigated compliance. This will show Your World Recruitment Group that you're not just a fit for the job but also a safety-conscious candidate!

Tailor Your CV to Be Result-Driven:Craft your CV to highlight quantifiable achievements, especially if you have previous roles in pharmaceuticals or related fields. Use metrics to demonstrate your impact, such as improved processing times or successful project completions while working on trials. This analytical approach will resonate well with hiring managers at Your World Recruitment Group!

Convey Your Passion for the Industry:In your cover letter, express why you are passionate about working in the pharmaceutical sector. Whether it’s your desire to contribute to groundbreaking drug research or improve patient outcomes, let it shine through! At Your World Recruitment Group, we value candidates who are truly enthusiastic about their work—you might just stand out from the crowd.

How to prepare for a job interview at Your World Recruitment Group

Understand the Science

Make sure you brush up on key pharmaceutical concepts and recent developments in the industry. You might get asked some technical questions during the interview at Your World Recruitment Group that show your grasp of drug development processes or regulatory requirements, so be ready to discuss them clearly.

Showcase Relevant Experience

If you have any hands-on experience or internships in a laboratory setting, be sure to highlight these in your responses. Think about the projects you worked on, the methodologies you used, and the impact you made. It's all about telling a story that connects your background to the role you're applying for.

Know Their Products

Take some time to familiarise yourself with Your World Recruitment Group’s product range and recent breakthroughs. Understanding their portfolio not only shows your enthusiasm for the role but also allows you to ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in actively contributing to their projects.

Be Ready for Regulatory Scenarios

In a full-time pharmaceutical role, understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Prepare for situational questions that may test your problem-solving skills concerning compliance and safety standards. You could be asked how you'd handle a hypothetical issue regarding a drug’s market release, so think through your approach.