Principal Physicist

Reporting Relationship

The post holder will report to the Chief Physicist and Head of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering (MPCE) Department or their designate.  With respect to matters relating to the provision of imaging and radiation physics services, the Principal Physicist will also be accountable to the Consultant in Administrative Charge of the relevant clinical service.

He/She will also liaise and work, as required with other staff and grades within and outside of the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department, on relevant issues including quality and safety, information and computer technology and systems.

General Description of the Post

The role primarily involves leading the provision of physics services to the HSE Dublin & North East Region.    The post holder will ideally be a Radiation Protection Adviser, Medical Physics Expert and Laser Protection Adviser involved in the provision of scientific, technical and business advice and support. The principal physicist will lead a team of physicists and working with stakeholders on multidisciplinary teams across the Dublin & North East Region.  The successful candidate will also form part of the management team within Beaumont MPCE.

The post holder will engage with the Chief Physicist and Head of Department, and other clinical and business leads, to provide and manage services offered by the department with a view to development of new, high quality services, in close cooperation with clinical disciplines.  As travel between hospitals in the group is necessary, the post holder will be required to hold a current driving licence.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate a number of key qualities, with particular attention given to those who demonstrate considerable expertise and experience in the provision of scientific and technical support services in medicine.  The post holder will be required to demonstrate: 

1. A good business approach to development and management of services is important. Just keeping the service “ticking-over” is not good enough, it is important that the service is reviewed and that new opportunities are identified, links forged with other institutions, manufacturers and service suppliers, etc., so that expertise can be enhanced and that training and teaching skills are further developed. 
2. Knowledge of all aspects of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering and how legislation applies to professional practice in the hospital environment.
3. Demonstrate evidence of effective planning and organising skills, including awareness of resource management and importance of value for money.
4. Leadership is a key quality that is strongly desirable and the candidate’s ability to engage staff to actively contribute to new service development or existing service enhancement is critical. Harnessing the skills and talent that exists within MPCE will be important with significant emphasis placed on further developing metrics and data analytics. 
5. Demonstrate focus on providing a quality service, an openness to change and the ability to effectively manage change.
6. The ability to engage with other relevant departments both within and outside the hospital (e.g. radiology, IT, directorate management teams, etc., will be important.
7. The post holder will be part of the MPCE’s management team and will contribute to development of the department’s overall goals and the strategic objectives. It is desirable that the successful candidate will have an ability to identify the pathways required for improving on perceived weaknesses of its service to improve on clinical outcomes.

Principal duties and responsibilities include:

1. To manage the provision of a medical physics services to the RCSI Hospital Group, including the direction and supervision of scientific and technical support required in Radiation Protection, Diagnostic Radiology Services, MRI, Medical Lasers and Phototherapy that is fully aligned with and enables the delivery of high quality, safe and value conscious healthcare services.
2. To be an active member of the medical physics and clinical engineering (MPCE) senior management team contributing to the development and delivery of the department’s strategic goals and objectives.
3. Provide leadership within the MPCE department, and particularly within the imaging and radiation physics service delivery, leading on the optimisation of image quality and quantitative assessment.
4. Oversee, prioritise and direct activities within the RCSI Medical Physics Group.
5. Ensure that appropriate protocols, procedures and structures are in place to promote and develop a high-performing physics service, with responsive delivery to the highest standard.
6. Where required, advise on the and acquisition of new technology and equipment, including development, planning and equipping of new installations.
7. Work in close cooperation to manage departmental staff resources with the delivery of services and support to radiology departments and other departments as required.
8. Contribute to the planning, development, and continuous enhancement of physics services as required.
9. Foster and develop relationships with radiology stakeholders within Beaumont and externally (e.g. clinicians, allied health professionals, equipment suppliers, field service engineers, academia, etc.) to continuously market and promote the potential for leading and contributing to health service improvements that will benefit service providers and patients.
10. Liaise with senior management in the RCSI Hospitals and radiology departments to ensure delivery of service goals and objectives.
11. Analyse physics requirements and anticipate equipment resources needed to meet objectives.
12. Develop and oversee project management services for relevant equipment procurement, through all stages from equipment specification, tender evaluation, pre-installation planning, installation, acceptance testing and commissioning - including both hardware and software elements; ensuring reliable and robust systems integration with all necessary clinical systems.
13. Actively contribute to clinical justification and system specification prior to relevant medical device purchases.
14. To manage the provision of a scientific and technical review of tender responses within the procurement process. Ensure that systems purchased will integrate and communicate with existing legacy systems.
15. Contribute to the development and maintenance of a range of technical equipment specifications.
16. Manage the co-ordination and implementation of preventative maintenance schedules and safety programmes for medical devices, within the imaging and radiation physics service and other services as required.   
17. Contribute to the provision and management of on-going education and training to hospital staff, in relation to the radiation safety.
18. Contribute to the establishment of and participation in orientation and teaching / training programmes for new staff, other relevant personnel and students, as required.
19. Establish, implement and manage quality assurance protocols for relevant equipment infrastructure, to ensure integrity of the associated clinical processes, as necessary.
20. Participation in Quality Assurance and Risk Management Programmes particularly in relation to statutory requirements and legislation.
21. Take responsibility for self-directed, self-initiated learning to ensure that his/her own knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date by participation in appropriate continuing education and professional development activities.
22. Ensure all records in relation to the principal physicist’s work are current and well maintained.
23. Support and initiate research and development activities in collaboration with colleagues in MPCE and throughout Beaumont Hospital, industry and academia to drive evidence-based health service improvement and to establish improved levels of application of technology where appropriate.
24. To actively drive and participate in the department’s academic, seminar programmes, in-service lectures and clinical meetings by presenting new and/or relevant topics in the field of healthcare as well as provide feedback from scientific meetings and external training sessions.
25. Represent the MPCE department at internal and national fora as appropriate (e.g. Participation on committees as and where required).
26. The day to day management of the department’s services will be required from time to time, in order to provide cross cover during holidays and sick leave.
27. Performing other duties as may be assigned to him/her.

This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and will be subject to review in light of experience and/or changing circumstances.  Consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time by the Chief Physicist, or designate, and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Mandatory

Professional Qualifications, Experience

Candidates must

• (i) Hold a recognised first or second class honours degree in which Physics was taken as a major subject and honours obtained in that subject. 

Or

Hold a recognised first or second class honours degree in Electrical / Electronic / Mechanical / Clinical Engineering. 

And

(ii) Hold a postgraduate (MSc. or PhD.) degree in Medical Physics / Clinical Engineering.

Or

(iii) Hold recognised qualifications at least equivalent to (i) and (ii) above.

• Have at least seven years satisfactory experience, in one or more of the following fields: Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Protection Procedures, Clinical Engineering, Radiological Physics, Radiotherapy or Medical Imaging.

• Possess the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and of administrative capacity) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

Desirable

Candidates will also ideally have some or all of the following: 

• Experience in the fields of medical radiation protection, medical imaging, quality assurance programs, MRI safety, phototherapy and medical lasers.
• Be a registered Medical Physics Expert
• Be a registered Radiation Protection Adviser, on the RPA register, held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or alternatively, have sufficient experience to allow him/her be included on the Register and are actively seeking registration.
• Capable of acting as a Laser Protection Advisor
• A driving license (valid for Ireland) and access to suitable transport