Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Pharmacy QA/QC Technician (XR05)

The closing date is 12 August 2025

Job summary

Expected Shortlisting Date

19/08/2025

Planned Interview Date

12/09/2025

Are you a talented and enthusiastic science graduate with experience in a Pharmacy or laboratory environment? Are you passionate about high quality patient care?

The Pharmacy QA/QC department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) have an opportunity for a QA/QC Technician to join our dynamic, collaborative, and supportive team. This is a great chance to demonstrate and develop your skills in our highly valued service.

Our service supports the licensed Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit and our unlicensed Aseptic Services and Radiopharmacy units to produce specialist medicines. We are part of Pharmacy Preparative Services within LTHT - one of the busiest such services in the UK. The postholder will perform a varied range of QA/QC activities, including cleanroom testing, microbiology, and quality checks on medicines manufactured within the Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit.

Now is a particularly good time to join us as we are part of a national programme to transform aseptic services in England, with West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) identified as one of five pathfinder sites.

If you want a challenging and rewarding role that contributes to patient care, this is a great opportunity to join us and help build the future of our well-regarded service.

Main duties of the job

Duties will include but are not limited to:

Supervision of processing and testing of microbiological environmental monitoring and validation samples

The postholder will be required to work in a cleanroom environment (including ability to change into/wear cleanroom garments, cross stepover benches, carry light equipment) in order to carry out specialist testing of cleanroom facilities/equipment.

Quality control checks of medicines produced in the Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit

Preparation of quality assessments for unlicensed medicines used within the Trust

Providing support and training to colleagues and service users

Reporting, trending and review of testing and monitoring data

Acting as a Quality Controller (MGPS) for Medical Gas Pipeline Systems

Maintaining and calibrating equipment used for quality control testing

Ordering and stock management

Working with external contractors to witness validation, maintenance and testing

About us

LTHT is one of the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the UK. The Leeds Way provides a strong foundation for our actions, showing compassion, empathy, and kindness to our patients and each other.

We are also part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, a collaboration of the NHS Hospital Trusts in our region working to provide the best possible patient care.

The Pharmacy Department at LTHT is highly respected, forward thinking and recognised within the organisation for collaborative working. We are continually innovating to improve services for patients and staff.

The QA/QC team supports our industry leading Preparative Services to produce ready to administer injectable medicines. The team benefits from a supportive, innovative environment and offers excellent opportunities for skill development and career progression.

The department aims to support flexible working arrangements. We have car parking on site.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Details

Date posted

22 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9298-MMP-409

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Job description

Job responsibilities

The Quality Assurance/Quality Control Department is part of the Pharmacy Preparative Services Department which also consists of the Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit, all aseptic dispensing units and Radiopharmacy. The Quality Assurance/Quality Control service operates across several Trust sites; primarily in support of Preparative Services including the licensed Aseptic Production Unit (APU) and Dispensary Support Unit (DSU) at Moor House. However, the service extends throughout Pharmacy and also provides support to other departments outside Pharmacy and to external Trusts and the private sector. The post is based in the QC/QA department at Moor House although the post holder will be required to travel to all Trust sites and to external customers when necessary.

Working with highly specialist equipment and devices in potentially high risk areas requires the post holder to possess a quality focus and an eye for detail to ensure all test results are accurate, precise and reproducible.

The sometimes unpredictable nature of the workload requires an individual who is flexible and can remain calm and efficient when working under pressure.

The individual must be able to work well within the team but also show initiative, good time management and commitment when working on their own.

The post holder will participate in a variety of quality control testing duties within the pharmacy QA/QC service. These will include clean room monitoring (physical and microbiological), environmental monitoring, analytical testing of samples, finished product checking and analysis of products manufactured in the licensed manufacturing and repackaging units and the quality assessment of medicines procured by the Trust.

This will involve the use of a variety of specialist testing techniques and equipment both within the QC laboratory and on location, both within the Trust and for external customers.

The postholder will act as a designated quality controller for piped medical gas testing within the Trust and to external customers.

The post holder will also participate in training sessions and in clerical tasks such as report writing.

The post holder will not have any line management responsibilities. The post holder will be responsible for day to day co-ordination of equipment planned preventive maintenance and remedial action within QA/QC and in support of the APU, DSU and Aseptic Services managers. They will be required to induct and train staff working with associated equipment and devices.

Principle Duties and areas of responsibility include:

To be responsible for the day to day management of equipment and clean room device maintenance and testing. This will include:

- Planned preventative maintenance

- Equipment calibration

- Troubleshooting and Remedial action

- Maintaining an equipment & device fault register and prioritising workload.

- provide reports and recommendations to the QC team leader

- stock control of QA/QC equipment consumables

- Liaison with external service contractors and witnessing of validation, maintenance and testing.

- Advising Clean room leads on day to day device use, care and maintenance

- participation in service review and development

- training of Pharmacy Clinical Support Services staff in SOPs related to device use, care and maintenance

To act as a senior quality controller (MPGS) for medical gas testing.

- High hazard work

- Commissioning new installations

- Troubleshooting

- Supervision of other staff working within the medical gas testing service.

Performs the following core duties according to clearly defined procedures:

- Sterility testing using aseptic techniques

- Microbiological sampling in clean room areas

- Processing microbiological monitoring samples

- Physical environmental monitoring of clean rooms and clean air devices

- Medical gas testing

- Analysis of products manufactured in the licensed production unit

- Inspection of finished products from licensed manufacturing units (Repackaging and aseptic production)

- Analysis of raw materials

- Quality assessment of medicines procured by the Trust (unlicensed medicines, raw materials, excipients and regional contract support)

- Reporting of minor product defects (medicines and consumables)

- Temperature monitoring and trend analysis of medicines storage

- Chemical exposure monitoring

- Utilizing pharmacy stock control systems

- Report writing

- Collation of activity figures

Other duties as directed by the QC Team Leader.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Quality Assurance/Quality Control Department is part of the Pharmacy Preparative Services Department which also consists of the Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit, all aseptic dispensing units and Radiopharmacy. The Quality Assurance/Quality Control service operates across several Trust sites; primarily in support of Preparative Services including the licensed Aseptic Production Unit (APU) and Dispensary Support Unit (DSU) at Moor House. However, the service extends throughout Pharmacy and also provides support to other departments outside Pharmacy and to external Trusts and the private sector. The post is based in the QC/QA department at Moor House although the post holder will be required to travel to all Trust sites and to external customers when necessary.

Working with highly specialist equipment and devices in potentially high risk areas requires the post holder to possess a quality focus and an eye for detail to ensure all test results are accurate, precise and reproducible.

The sometimes unpredictable nature of the workload requires an individual who is flexible and can remain calm and efficient when working under pressure.

The individual must be able to work well within the team but also show initiative, good time management and commitment when working on their own.

The post holder will participate in a variety of quality control testing duties within the pharmacy QA/QC service. These will include clean room monitoring (physical and microbiological), environmental monitoring, analytical testing of samples, finished product checking and analysis of products manufactured in the licensed manufacturing and repackaging units and the quality assessment of medicines procured by the Trust.

This will involve the use of a variety of specialist testing techniques and equipment both within the QC laboratory and on location, both within the Trust and for external customers.

The postholder will act as a designated quality controller for piped medical gas testing within the Trust and to external customers.

The post holder will also participate in training sessions and in clerical tasks such as report writing.

The post holder will not have any line management responsibilities. The post holder will be responsible for day to day co-ordination of equipment planned preventive maintenance and remedial action within QA/QC and in support of the APU, DSU and Aseptic Services managers. They will be required to induct and train staff working with associated equipment and devices.

Principle Duties and areas of responsibility include:

To be responsible for the day to day management of equipment and clean room device maintenance and testing. This will include:

- Planned preventative maintenance

- Equipment calibration

- Troubleshooting and Remedial action

- Maintaining an equipment & device fault register and prioritising workload.

- provide reports and recommendations to the QC team leader

- stock control of QA/QC equipment consumables

- Liaison with external service contractors and witnessing of validation, maintenance and testing.

- Advising Clean room leads on day to day device use, care and maintenance

- participation in service review and development

- training of Pharmacy Clinical Support Services staff in SOPs related to device use, care and maintenance

To act as a senior quality controller (MPGS) for medical gas testing.

- High hazard work

- Commissioning new installations

- Troubleshooting

- Supervision of other staff working within the medical gas testing service.

Performs the following core duties according to clearly defined procedures:

- Sterility testing using aseptic techniques

- Microbiological sampling in clean room areas

- Processing microbiological monitoring samples

- Physical environmental monitoring of clean rooms and clean air devices

- Medical gas testing

- Analysis of products manufactured in the licensed production unit

- Inspection of finished products from licensed manufacturing units (Repackaging and aseptic production)

- Analysis of raw materials

- Quality assessment of medicines procured by the Trust (unlicensed medicines, raw materials, excipients and regional contract support)

- Reporting of minor product defects (medicines and consumables)

- Temperature monitoring and trend analysis of medicines storage

- Chemical exposure monitoring

- Utilizing pharmacy stock control systems

- Report writing

- Collation of activity figures

Other duties as directed by the QC Team Leader.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in an appropriate Scientific Discipline (see below)
  • Registrant of or eligible to become registrant as Quality Controller MGPS (Medical Gas Pipeline systems) Current requirement as defined in HTM 02-01 paragraph -7.59 - the QC (MGPS)
  • will be a graduate who is eligible for membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society(RPS), the Royal Society of Chemistry(RSC) or Institute of Biology.

Experience

Essential

  • A minimum of two years experience working in a Pharmacy or laboratory environment. Experience may include time in training/teaching laboratories

Desirable

  • Experience working in a QC or QA environment

Skills & behaviours

Essential

  • Organisation skills and management of self and others
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in an appropriate Scientific Discipline (see below)
  • Registrant of or eligible to become registrant as Quality Controller MGPS (Medical Gas Pipeline systems) Current requirement as defined in HTM 02-01 paragraph -7.59 - the QC (MGPS)
  • will be a graduate who is eligible for membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society(RPS), the Royal Society of Chemistry(RSC) or Institute of Biology.

Experience

Essential

  • A minimum of two years experience working in a Pharmacy or laboratory environment. Experience may include time in training/teaching laboratories

Desirable

  • Experience working in a QC or QA environment

Skills & behaviours

Essential

  • Organisation skills and management of self and others

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Advanced Pharmaceutical Scientist

Ben Aucott

benjamin.aucott@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

22 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9298-MMP-409

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF


Supporting documents

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