Senior Radiotherapy Physicist

Job summary

RADIOTHERAPY PHYSICS GROUP

Senior Radiotherapy Physicist (Band 7)

We're seeking a B7 Radiotherapy Physicist to join our team. You will participate in a range of clinical duties but with a particular specialism and focus in scientific computing applied to radiotherapy. You will therefore need to demonstrable skill in computing, including scripting and software development. We are active in software and system development across our service with particular priorities in process automation, including automated treatment planning.

Main duties of the job

You will undertake the full range of radiotherapy physicist duties, including treatment planning, checking, brachytherapy, equipment commissioning and QA, training staff and advising clinicians. There will also be involvement in developing new techniques and collaborative research projects with the University are encouraged.

The OUH Radiotherapy Centre at the Churchill Hospital is a five linac, all-Varian (including Halcyon, TrueBeam) site with CT-sim, ARIA, Eclipse and HDR brachytherapy unit. Our existing satellite centre in Swindon operates a further two linacs and a CT-sim. A second satellite centre in Milton Keynes operating a single linac and CT-sim opened in 2025. Supporting systems include AI auto-contouring and RadCalc. We have a modern suite of treatment planning functionality including RapidPlan, MCO, HyperArc and Velocity, and we treat with a wide variety of techniques including SRS/SRT and SABR. We have a range of development work underway and on the horizon and also an active computing team working to develop software and scripts for automation and data analysis. We have close links with Oxford University and an expanding portfolio of clinical trials.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustis one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk

The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call thisDelivering Compassionate Excellenceand its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel

Job responsibilities

You will participate in a range of clinical duties but with aparticular specialism and focus in scientific computing applied to radiotherapy. You will therefore need to demonstrable skill in computing, including scripting and software development. We are active in software and system development across our service with particular priorities in process automation, including automated treatment planning.

The role includes carrying out complex procedures, introducing new techniques and carrying out applied research, providing advice to consultant oncologists and other healthcare professionals to resolve problems with complex Radiotherapy equipment and treatment plans.

This work has a direct impact on patient treatments and occasionally brings the postholder into direct contact with patients during their treatment and treatment planning. The postholder liases with a wide range of staff in Radiotherapy, Medical Physics, and at all levels within the Trust, and with external equipment manufacturers and engineers.

Person specification

Scientific grades

Essential

• Good (1st or 2nd class) Honours degree in a relevant subject
• Relevant MSc or higher degree
• STP training scheme or IPEM Diploma or equivalent in Medical Physics, normally with specialisation in radiotherapy physics.
• HCPC Registered as a Clinical Scientist, if not yet registered appointment to a lower band may be considered until registration is achieved.

Scientific/ Technical/ Specialist

Essential

• Broad knowledge of radiation and associated areas within Medical Physics.
• Advanced level of knowledge across the full range of working procedures and practices within Radiotherapy Physics, including DICOM-RT; brachytherapy; pretreatment imaging; treatment imaging, Radiotherapy networking and verification systems; IMRT/ VMAT QA; QA of treatment machines and equipment
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Scientific experience in Radiotherapy Physics including: analysing and judging treatment options and plans, identifying problems with patient-related equipment`, exercising judgement to solve problems and making decisions on how equipment is to be used safely and correctly, all usually under time-pressure.
• Specialist training and practical experience in the use and calibration of radiotherapy treatment equipment (including linear accelerators and treatment planning computers), specialist test and measurement equipment and dosimetry equipment calibration.