Clinical Scientist - Radiotherapy Research Physicist (XR07)

Applications are invited for 2 band 7 Clinical Scientist Radiotherapy Research Physicists in the Leeds Cancer Centre, St James's University Hospital. These vacancies are initiated following the successful application for the following externally funded research projects: Innovation award (West Yorkshire & Harrogate Cancer Alliance), Cancer Research UK RadNet Leeds centre of excellence, NIHR Advanced Fellowship Award and RaySearch research agreement. These research projects all have the aim of developing and demonstrating the capability of advanced technology to improve our patients' radiotherapy treatment and outcomes and streamline our radiotherapy workflows.

We are looking for Clinical Scientists with experience in radiotherapy physics and a track record in research and development. We have a strong multi-disciplinary approach to working and the successful candidate will provide medical physics support to the radiotherapy physics service. These 4-year positions are part of the departmental Research and Innovation expansion of the workforce plan. The research work will provide treatment workflow efficiencies for NHS staff and patients, as well as improving treatment quality, leading to better patient experiences and outcomes.

Main duties of the job:

• These posts are based in the Radiotherapy Imaging and Treatment Planning Groups, within the Radiotherapy Physics Department.
• The role offers a 50/50 split between clinical duties and research, supporting the maintenance of clinical competencies and registration while enabling engagement in radiotherapy research and innovation.
• Research areas may include MR-only planning, AI applications in contouring and planning, reirradiation strategies, motion management, outcome prediction, and other projects aimed at improving radiotherapy outcomes.
• Clinically, responsibilities include routine and advanced treatment planning, plan checking, dosimetry, and quality assurance.
• The role also involves commissioning and implementing new techniques, protocol development, and equipment installation and quality control to maintain high standards of performance and safety.
• The postholder will also contribute to system design and data management, including tool development for data analysis and integration of new technologies into workflows.
• Collaboration with clinical, academic, and technical teams will be central, ensuring research informs practice.
• There will be opportunities for publication, conference presentation, and participation in national and international collaborations.

This is a dynamic role suited to individuals with a strong foundation in radiotherapy physics, an interest in innovation, and a desire to develop professionally in clinical and academic contexts.

About Us:

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the UK. We are committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our staff helped to define the values and behaviours that we should work to so that we can achieve this vision. This has become known as The Leeds Way, and forms the foundation of our culture, our ethos and how we work every day.

The radiotherapy service in St James's treats over 7500 new radiotherapy patients per annum. The centre is equipped with the latest technology, including 12 Versa HDs, 3 CTSims, 1 MRSim, RayStation treatment planning, a Flexitron HDR remote afterloading platform for advanced image guided brachytherapy, I-125 prostate brachytherapy service and Gamma Knife ICON. The managed equipment service was recently renewed, ensuring equipment replacement and comprehensive support for the next 15 years.

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: 09 June 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £46,148 to £52,809 a year
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 4 years
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: C9298-ONC-0527
• Job locations: St. James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF

Job responsibilities:

• Provides Medical Physics scientific support in a range of areas of work related to radiotherapy research and development with a focus on the strategic goals of the Radiotherapy Physics section of the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Dept.
• Provides Medical Physics support in a range of areas of work related to the day-to-day running of external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy and/or Gamma-Knife service, including: treatment planning, dosimetry, research and development, quality assurance, imaging for radiotherapy, providing medical physics advice.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Essential: 1st or 2nd class honours degree in a relevant subject. IPEM-accredited MSc in medical physics or equivalent, Corporate Membership of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, State registration as a Clinical Scientist.
• Desirable: PhD.

Skills & behaviours:

• Essential: To act at all times in a professional manner, showing courtesy and respect for other staff and patients. Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality. Creative lateral thinker. Ability to work flexibly. Ability to cope with large and variable workload. Ability to make decisions quickly and accurately in a stressful situation, e.g. about a patient in pain or anaesthetised. Positive attitude to change. Ability to prioritise and manage own work and supervise that of others. Ability to communicate highly complex information, e.g. at post-graduate physics level, to non-physics based colleagues. Ability to concentrate for frequent and prolonged periods in all aspects of work. Ability to deal effectively with complex and unpredictable situations.
• Desirable: Coding/scripting skills e.g. Python.

Experience:

• Essential: Knowledge and experience to act as an Operator under IR(ME)R within the field of radiotherapy. Specialist knowledge and practical experience of main areas of radiotherapy physics. Understanding patient progress through radiotherapy and the requirements of a radiotherapy physics service to ensure that it is performed in a safe and accurate manner. Detailed understanding of patient and staff risks arising from the use of ionising radiation for radiotherapy. Understanding of relevant legislation, national standards, codes of practice, professional and other guidelines.
• Desirable: Knowledge and experience to act as Referrer and Practitioner for concomitant doses.

Other criteria:

• Essential: Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments if necessary), including clearance on blood borne viruses in compliance with Trust Policy.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship:

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

UK Registration:

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

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/