Principal Clinical Scientist, Radiology Physics

Radiology Physics is part of the expanding Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department, which is raising its profile within the Trust and building networks with other Trusts and Universities. We are committed to providing a high-quality, safe and effective service. We are able to offer opportunities for career development and progression within a vibrant, progressive and supportive team. We provide scientific, technical and regulatory support to X-ray, ultrasound and laser facilities across the Trust. Training and development are actively encouraged and supported. We offer flexible working and opportunities for career development and progression, having secured investment to expand the team. The current team comprises 10 members of staff, including clinical scientists, clinical technologists, a medical physics radiographer and a technical administrator.

Main duties of the job:

• Operate 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.
• Plan and manage their own workload and projects; prioritising work appropriately, adapting in response to emerging urgent requests.
• Work with the Radiology Physics Team Lead to provide a safe, efficient and effective service.
• Act as at least two of the following three statutory roles: Medical Physics Expert (MPE) for Radiology as required by the Ionising Radiations (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017, Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) as required by the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, Radioactive Waste Adviser as required by the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
• Support the chair of the Trust Radiation Advisory Committee by implementing and auditing legislation and other relevant guidance in radiation protection.
• Play a key role in teaching, training and developing staff to achieve and maintain competence and work towards accreditation in statutory roles.
• Initiate and participate in research and development.
• Be accountable for the work of staff and students who they are supervising.
• Maintain RPA, MPE, RWA accreditation in accordance with legislation.

Working for our organisation:

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Person specification:

• MSc in a relevant subject
• MIPEM
• HCPC Registration as Clinical Scientist
• MPE, RPA and RWA Certification
• PhD in relevant field
• CSci Management Training

Clinical Skills and Experience:

• Extensive experience working in the field of diagnostic radiology physics and radiation protection.
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Ability to prioritise and manage own work.
• Ability to supervise and manage staff.
• Ability to exercise own initiative when dealing with issues within own specialist area of competence.
• Highly developed manual dexterity and the ability to make accurate, precise measurements using sophisticated testing equipment.
• Ability to work accurately and quickly, applying scientific methods to resolve complex problems.
• Ability to concentrate on complex problems for prolonged periods when frequently subjected to unpredictable working patterns.
• Record of Scientific publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals.
• Participation in national professional affairs.
• Project management.
• Demonstrable experience working with (and advising on) the safe use of sealed and unsealed sources of ionising radiation.
• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of other imaging modalities (Ultrasound, NM, MRI etc).
• Demonstrable experience advising on the safe use of lasers and other forms of optical radiation.

Governance:

• Report to the Trust Radiation Advisory Committee.
• Support the Medical Physics Governance Groups, (Quality & Risk and Finance & Performance).

Personal/professional attributes:

• Reliable, punctual, flexible.
• Good interpersonal skills including negotiation.
• Ability to motivate self and others.
• Ability to work effectively and positively within a team.

Other Requirements:

• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust’s Vision, Mission and Values.
• Ability to lift medium/heavy test equipment occasionally, greater than 10kg.

We have a relocation policy for eligible candidates, parking available at Trust sites but we encourage other options, like car sharing or public transport. The Trust is committed to supporting flexible working to fulfil our pledge as part of The Trust’s People Strategy to help staff to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Please speak with your Recruiting Manager for further information on how this can be managed alongside department expectations and requirements. The ability to converse easily and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for all customer-facing roles. Most positions require a Disclosure and Barring check and will be exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Posts working regularly or unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults require an enhanced check. Applicants for eligible roles requiring Tier 2 sponsorship must meet UK Visas and Immigration eligibility criteria. We operate a no-smoking policy on all our sites and grounds.