Job Title: Director and National Coordinator, Affiliation for Pharmacy Practice Experiential Learning (APPEL)
Reporting to: Strategically to the APPEL Board (Heads of Schools of Pharmacy – University College Cork (UCC), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), and Trinity College Dublin (TCD)); Operationally to the Head of School of Pharmacy, RCSI.
Contract type/Duration: Full time, fixed term contract until 31 May 2030, in line with existing APPEL Consortium contract. There is the potential for the role to extend beyond May 2030, subject to terms of any subsequent APPEL Consortium contract. Flexible, hybrid working options available.
Objectives of this post
The Director and National Coordinator will lead the strategic development, expansion, and operational delivery of the experiential learning programme within the integrated Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) programmes in Ireland.
A key priority of the role will be to plan for and facilitate the expansion of APPEL to include additional Schools of Pharmacy, while ensuring the scalability, quality, and sustainability of experiential placements nationwide. This includes addressing growing placement demand, strengthening system capacity, and ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning environments.
The postholder will engage at a senior level across the pharmacy and wider healthcare sectors to secure, diversify, and future-proof experiential learning capacity, while maintaining alignment with accreditation, regulatory, and educational best practice standards.
This is a senior leadership role requiring significant expertise, strategic vision, and the ability to operate effectively within a complex, multi-stakeholder national framework.
Specific Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership in the expansion and evolution of APPEL, including onboarding and integration of additional Schools of Pharmacy
Develop and implement a national capacity strategy to meet increasing demand for experiential placements across all participating programmes
Set strategic goals and deliver on the objectives and targets defined by the APPEL Board
Lead the ongoing development of experiential learning in line with international best practice and emerging educational models
Engage proactively with stakeholders across community, hospital, and industry pharmacy sectors to increase placement availability, diversity, and geographic spread
Communicate and advocate for the requirements and value of experiential learning across the profession
Drive delivery of the APPEL Work Programme within defined time, cost, and quality parameters
Ensure quality assurance, consistency, and continuous improvement across all placements
Support accredited Pharmacy programmes in the State in meeting regulatory, accreditation, and professional body requirements
Lead and develop the APPEL operations team and Practice Educators to support programme delivery at scale
Oversee the development and optimisation of APPEL’s digital infrastructure, including the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), placement matching systems, and CRM
Monitor and respond to emerging risks related to placement capacity, workforce pressures, and sector changes
Build partnerships across healthcare, education, and policy environments to support long-term sustainability of experiential learning
Must be registered or eligible to register as a pharmacist with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
Proven experience in strategic leadership and operational delivery within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
Demonstrated ability to scale programmes or services in response to growth and increased demand
Experience leading system expansion, transformation, or organisational growth initiatives
Strong track record of stakeholder engagement and influencing at senior levels, including across professional, academic, and policy domains
Experience in delivering change management programmes
Experience leading and managing teams, including multidisciplinary or distributed teams
Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans
Expertise in consultation, negotiation, and consensus-building across diverse stakeholders
Excellent communication, briefing, and policy-influencing skills
Digital and systems awareness, including experience overseeing or scaling education or placement management platforms
Knowledge of quality assurance frameworks and regulatory requirements in higher education
Familiarity with the Irish healthcare and higher education landscape
Experience in policy development or national programme implementation
Knowledge of experiential learning theory and its impact on student outcomes
Experience in professional training, mentoring, or educator development
Core Values and Behaviours
Deep understanding of the pharmacy sector and its evolving workforce needs
Strategic leadership with a clear track record of delivery and impact
Ability to manage complexity and drive change at a national level
Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building capability
Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills
Ability to build alignment across institutions and sectors
Capacity to provide clear direction while enabling innovation and flexibility
Focus on continuous improvement and organisational performance
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