Senior Clinical Scientist Radiation Protection

Kings College Hospital; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in London is seeking a Senior Clinical Scientist in Radiation Protection. This permanent, full-time position involves providing specialized scientific support, conducting departmental audits, and leading initiatives to ensure compliance with radiation safety regulations. The role offers a competitive salary within a dynamic team environment, focusing on professional development and patient safety.

Qualifications

• Certification as a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) required.
• Experience with diagnostic radiology and imaging systems.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific, technical, and regulatory expertise.
• Manage and recruit lower-grade staff in the service.
• Conduct audits to ensure compliance with regulations.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Technical Expertise

Collaboration

Education

Good honours degree in Engineering or Physical Science subject

MSc or higher degree

State registration as a Clinical Scientist

Medical Physics Expert

Job description

Senior Clinical Scientist Radiation Protection

NHS AfC: Band 8b

Main area Radiation Protection and Diagnostic Radiology Physics Grade NHS AfC: Band 8b Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 213-DH-7247190

Employer King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Town London Salary £70,387 - £80,465 per annum, including high cost allowance Salary period Yearly Closing 27/06/2025 23:59

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

This post is formally part of the Radiation Protection Service within the Department of Medical Engineering and Physics. The Service is responsible for support to a number of internal and external departments. The post holder should hold certification as a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) and be holder or working towards certification as either a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA), a Laser Protection Adviser or Radioactive Waste Adviser (RWA).

The current team comprises 10 members of staff, including clinical technologists and scientists. It is an exciting time to join the team as this role offers the opportunity to contribute to a progressive review of our methods, ensuring our practices evolve with technology and continue to prioritise patient and staff safety whilst taking into account the financial challenges of the NHS. Our latest Trust staff survey has indicated that our staff feels we are compassionate, inclusive and work as a team. You’ll be joining a friendly, close-knit team where collaboration is central to how we work. We're looking for someone who brings not only expertise and inspiration, but also a positive team spirit. Candidates are encouraged to contact the recruiting manager and organise a meeting/visit. For the right candidate, we would consider appointing at a lower banding if the person specification is not met provided you can demonstrate experience and are working towards submitting portfolios.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will be expected to work with a high level of autonomy in providing specialised scientific, technical and regulatory expertise, often of a complex nature, to the Trust and other organisations. They will recruit and manage lower grade staff in the Service whilst maintaining an expertise in this highly specialist area. The post holder is expected to keep up to date with new technologies and to be able to develop and lead activity in all areas of the service. Some of the main duties of the role:

· Assist the Head of Service in the planning and provision of the services offered.

· Carry out departmental audits and collaborate with radiology service managers and modality leads to ensure compliance against the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations 2017.

· Carry out departmental audits and collaborate with the Radiation Protection Adviser and Radiation Protection Supervisors to ensure the highest standards of radiation safety are maintained within all Departments in accordance with the Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017.

· Produce equipment specification for complex radiology equipment and conduct technical evaluations.

· Provide advice and assistance in the design of rooms using ionising radiation.

· Lead in commissioning and acceptance testing and routine quality assurance testing of complex equipment.

Please see attached documentation for further details.

Working for our organisation

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

· The post holder should hold certification as a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) and be holder or working towards certification as either a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA), a Laser Protection Adviser or Radioactive Waste Adviser (RWA).

· Assist the Head of Service in the planning and provision of the services offered.

· Carry out departmental audits and collaborate with radiology service managers and modality leads to ensure compliance against the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations 2017.

· Carry out departmental audits and collaborate with the Radiation Protection Adviser and Radiation Protection Supervisors to ensure the highest standards of radiation safety are maintained within all Departments in accordance with the Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017.

· Produce equipment specification for complex radiology equipment and conduct technical evaluations.

· Provide advice and assistance in the design of rooms using ionising radiation.

· Lead in commissioning and acceptance testing and routine quality assurance testing of complex equipment.

· Provide Medical Physics Expert advice on research studies for compliance with the IR(ME)R regulations.

· Take responsibility for leading the patient dose audit (including the use of patient dose management systems) and image optimisation strategy in the Trust and external contracts.

· Communicate effectively with clinical, other scientific and technical staff to provide scientific advice on all aspects of the service. In addition provide clear and understandable information to patients on investigations and/or techniques.

· Take responsibility for establishing validation procedures for equipment including both hardware and

software components and/or verifying their proper use in clinical practice.

· Direct the development of existing techniques and introduction of new techniques to satisfy the aims

and objectives of the Imaging Departments and Medical Engineering and Physics.

· Be responsible for initiating invoices to external contractors.

· Assist in planning financial initiatives and income generation of the service.

Education and Training

· Lead the teaching and training of junior physics and technical staff as well as medical students, junior radiologists, radiographers, visitors and work experience students attending the department.

· Lead the supervision of any trainees on the STP programme or other routes on placement in Radiation Protection Service.

· Provide teaching and training on various courses, including external academic teaching, and act as an examiner and supervisor at MSc level.

Governance/Quality Control

· Ensure that all work is undertaken in accordance with the Departmental quality system.

· Review and improve the quality systems and procedures of the section

· Ensure a quality culture is maintained in the section, and all adverse incidents are reported to the Trust and relevant external agencies where necessary.

Research and Service Development

· Develop research ideas, pursue innovations and support collaborative research.

· Develop and review operating policies and procedures for the Service.

· Take responsibility for specifying and commissioning software solutions for the service.

Professional

· The post holder is expected to prioritise own work in accordance with departmental, Trust and external priorities and demands and cope with multi-tasking.

· You may be required to work outside normal office hours from time to time.

· Maintain professional skills and competencies through participation in an appropriate scheme of Continuous Professional Development Attend meetings, courses and other professional events as appropriate and as required.

· Work towards and subsequently maintain accreditation as a Radiation Protection Adviser/ Laser Protection Adviser/ Radioactive Waste Adviser

· Present completed research and development work of the department at appropriate meetings and in appropriate journals.

· Assist with the scientific and professional development of junior scientific staff, particularly in basic and pre-registration training.

· Undertake other relevant and appropriate scientific duties which may arise occasionally.

· Develop links with professional colleagues in King’s Health Partners and pursue closer working relationships.

· Attend and participate in Departmental Strategy Group meetings.

Please see attached documents for detailed job description and person specification.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Good honours degree in Engineering or Physical Science subject or equivalent
• MSc or higher degree
• State registration as a Clinical Scientist.
• Medical Physics Expert
• Radiation Protection Adviser (2 for exists, 1 for in progress, 0 for none)

Knowledge and Experience

• Broad and well developed knowledge across the field of diagnostic radiology and radiation protection physics.
• Detailed knowledge of a wide range of medical imaging equipment
• Knowledge of wider clinical issues and their implications for Imaging techniques
• Understanding of patient and staff risks arising from equipment failure.
• Developed understanding of relevant legislation for radiation protection
• Able to prioritise and manage own work and that of others
• Able to exercise own initiative when dealing with operational issues at Trust and national level
• Specialist training on and practical experience with a range of Imaging equipment and computer applications.
• Thorough understanding and appreciation of relevant legislation, national standards, professional and other guidelines, including: IRR, IR(ME)R

Skills and Competencies

• Able to cope with multi-tasking and prioritising own work in accordance with departmental, Trust and external priorities and demands
• Effective communicator, Able to communicate complex information to other professional scientific and clinical groups and to non-scientists
• Teaching experience and supervision at STP and MSc level
• Able to provide teaching and training on imaging equipment
• Professional attitude towards work, reliability, good record of attendance
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of King’s Values and commitment to uphold King’s Values
• Able to communicate complex information at postgraduate level to other professional groups
• Able to present scientific papers at national and international conferences
• Experience in computer programming/coding applicable to the Service

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Annual Reports and Other Corporate Publications


King's Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre Website

King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.