Principal Clinical Scientist

Providing specialist technical scientific advice to Velindre University NHS Trust and client organisations on compliance with relevant radiation protection legislation.

Acting as Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA), with a focus on unsealed and sealed radioactive materials (including high activity sealed sources).

Acting as Radioactive Waste Adviser (RWA) for unsealed and sealed (including high activity sealed sources) radioactive materials.

Acting as Medical Physics Expert (MPE) in unsealed sources (nuclear medicine) and/or diagnostic radiology.

Acting as Qualified Person for the testing of radiation protection instruments.

Acting as Quality Lead for the Radiation Protection Service.

Main duties of the job

Acting as a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) for the service and to be appointed in this role by Velindre University NHS Trust and its client organisations, with a focus on unsealed and sealed radioactive materials (including high activity sealed sources).

Acting as a Radioactive Waste Adviser (RWA) for the service and to be appointed in this role by Velindre University NHS Trust and its client organisations, for unsealed and sealed radioactive materials (including high activity sealed sources).

Acting as a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) in unsealed sources (nuclear medicine) and/or diagnostic radiology in health care, medical research and development and teaching for Velindre NHS Trust and its client organisations.

Acting as the Qualified Person for the testing before first use and subsequent routine performance testing of radiological protection instruments.

Acting as Quality Lead for the Radiation Protection Service and to provide leadership towards an eventual status as a formally accredited service.

Managing projects undertaken in support of developments in radiation protection both within Velindre NHS Trust and its client organisations.

About us

Here at Velindre University NHS Trust we are extremely proud of the specialist services we provide across the whole of Wales in our cutting-edge Velindre Cancer Centre and our award-winning Welsh Blood Service. We are also fortunate to host the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership and Health Technology Wales and have developed strong partnership working with these expert services.

Formed in 1999, the Trust has a dedicated workforce that continuously strives to apply the key principles of value-based healthcare through a wide array of roles. We play a vital role in the communities we support and have ambitious plans for the future to continue to improve the services we deliver. We strive to maintain our core values in everything we do by being accountable, bold, caring and dynamic, ensuring the best possible care for our patients and donors.

If you want to work for an organisation that prides itself on making a real difference and offers exciting career opportunities, then Velindre University NHS Trust is the place for you.

Job responsibilities

Provide specialist and highly complex advice to Senior Managers, Divisional and Operations Managers, Chairs of Radiation Protection Committees, Directors of Estates and all other staff seeking advice on matters relating to radiation protection throughout the RPS Cardiff client base in a manner that is both appropriate and accessible.

To provide specialist advice on specification and selection of a wide range of highly complex equipment to ensure patient and staff safety.

Provide specialist and highly complex advice to Senior Managers in all customer organisations in investigating those occasions when statutory levels of concern have been exceeded and in identifying appropriate remedial action.

Participate in the training of junior clinical scientists and technical officers with respect to radiation protection physics, presenting and explaining complex information in an accessible manner.

Participate in the delivery of training courses on radiation protection to staff groups in various departments throughout the RPS Cardiff customer base.

Identify and liaise with manufacturers' representatives and colleagues at other centres on issues related to radiation protection.

Organise and participate in the delivery of in-house seminars on radiation protection issues of topical interest.

Present and disseminate clinical results through oral or poster presentations at local, national, and international meetings and conferences; prepare papers for publication in scientific journals where appropriate.

Undertake audits of compliance with radiation protection legislation with customers, ensuring effective communication styles are used to obtain necessary information efficiently.

The post holder will be required to demonstrate extensive knowledge and expertise across a number of subject areas, acquired from holding significant experience in the field of radiation protection.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

• MSc Medical Physics or equivalent
• UK HCPC Clinical Scientist Registration, or certainty of obtaining it for non-UK candidates.
• Accreditation as a Radiation Protection Adviser with expertise in radiation protection within unsealed and sealed radioactive materials, or ability to apply for this within one year of starting post.
• Accreditation as a Radioactive Waste Advisor, with a focus on unsealed and sealed radioactive materials, or ability to apply for this within one year of starting post.
• Accreditation as a Medical Physics Expert in unsealed sources (nuclear medicine) and/or diagnostic radiology, or ability to apply for this within one year of starting post.
• In-depth knowledge of ionising radiation protection metrics and the operation of a range of instruments used in medical environments.
• PhD in Medical Physics.
• Publication record in radioactive materials and/or diagnostic radiology physics and/or radiation protection.
• Eligibility to hold MIPEM, or FIPEM, or equivalent status.
• Knowledge and qualification compatible with appointment as Qualified Person for testing of radiation protection instruments.
• Knowledge of formal accreditation systems associated with Medical Physics, Radiation Protection, and Metrology laboratory environments.

Experience

• Experience in applying radiation protection practice in the field of unsealed and sealed radioactive materials.
• Experience compatible with acknowledgement of Radioactive Waste Adviser status.
• Experience compatible with acknowledgement of Medical Physics Expert status in unsealed sources (nuclear medicine) and/or diagnostic radiology.
• Involvement with advising on radiation protection legislation.
• Involvement in relevant national or international organisations or groups.
• Experience compatible with appointment as Qualified Person for testing of radiation protection instruments.
• Experience developing quality management systems towards formal accreditation in a Medical Physics and/or Radiation Protection environment.

Skills and Attributes

• Able to communicate complex scientific issues effectively to both scientists and non-scientists.
• Good negotiation skills in advising on statutory requirements.
• Advanced computer analysis and data manipulation skills.
• Teaching skills.
• Familiarity with medical image processing software.
• Familiarity with designing customised database applications.

Other

• Consistent with Velindre University NHS Trust organisational values.
• Welsh Speaker (Level 1) or willingness to work towards.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, necessitating a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.