Secondary Proton Medical Physicist

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of North Carolina seeks a secondary faculty proton medical physicist for the North Carolina Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, NC. The role involves clinical proton therapy physics, collaboration with Mevion and project teams.

Candidates should have CAMPEP residency, ABR certification, and a track record in proton therapy research and teaching. The position supports CAMPEP-accredited residency mentoring and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Qualifications

• MS/PhD in Medical Physics, Physics, or Engineering required.
• ABR/ABMP board certified or board eligible (Part 1).
• CAMPEP-accredited residency completed.

Responsibilities

• Assist in acceptance, commissioning, and clinical proton therapy physics services.
• Collaborate with Mevion and project teams on infrastructure and workflows.
• Engage in research and mentor residents in CAMPEP program.

Skills

Proton therapy physics

Clinical physics

Team collaboration

Education

MS/PhD in Medical Physics or related

Tools

RayStation

Mevion S250-FIT

Elekta equipment

Job description

Position Summary

The Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of North Carolina is seeking a secondary faculty proton medical physicist for the North Carolina Cancer Center. The North Carolina Cancer Center is a member of the UNC Health Care System and is located in Chapel Hill, NC.

The North Carolina Cancer Center is currently staffed with 13 Radiation Oncologists, 7 Dosimetrists, 12 Medical Physicists, and 1 IT specialist. The North Carolina Cancer Center clinic is equipped with 3 Elekta accelerators, a CyberKnife system, a Mobetron intraoperative accelerator, an Elekta HDR system, a VariSeed LDR prostate system, a Philips large bore CT simulator, and a recently installed Philips MR simulator. The Center is in the process of installing a Varian TrueBeam. A Mevion S250-FIT Proton Therapy System is due to be installed in 2027. Clinical treatment planning systems (TPS) include Raystation TPS, Accuray Precision TPS for CyberKnife, Oncentra HDR Brachy TPS, and VariSeed LDR Brachy TPS. Ancillary systems include VisionRT.

Construction on the vault to house the Mevion S250-FIT Proton Therapy System will commence in 2026, with installation scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2027. A lead proton faculty physicist (to be hired) is expected to start as early as September 2026. The secondary proton faculty physicist, reporting to the lead physicist, would ideally begin in the same timeframe. Both the lead and secondary proton faculty physicists will work with Mevion and project management teams to ensure project success. Both the lead and secondary proton faculty physicist will work collaboratively with appropriate stakeholders to establish the infrastructure, workflows, and Policies and Procedures required for physics-related tasks and patient treatments.

The successful candidate is expected to be actively involved in a broad range of clinical, research, and teaching activities within the Department and the School of Medicine.

Responsibilities

• Clinical duties: The secondary proton faculty physicist will work under the supervision of the lead proton faculty physicist during acceptance and commissioning of the Mevion S250-FIT system, acquisition of dosimetry data, and commissioning of proton treatment planning in RayStation. Once the proton therapy system becomes operational, the successful candidate will provide clinical proton therapy physics services. Responsibilities include ensuring the accurate and safe delivery of proton radiation treatments and maintaining the safety of patients and treatment staff.
• Research: The successful candidate must be motivated to contribute to, and collaborate in, research efforts.
• Residency Program: The department supports a CAMPEP-accredited Medical Physics Residency Program and, as such, mentoring of residents is expected.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

The successful candidate for this position must have the following qualifications: (1) an MS/PhD in Medical Physics/Physics/Engineering or related field; (2) be ABR/ABMP board certified or board eligible (passed Part 1); and (3) have graduated from a CAMPEP-accredited residency. The candidate may be at junior level or higher but should have experience in proton therapy physics.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

The ideal candidate should have strong technical skills, a commitment to research and teaching, and excellent verbal and written communications skills.