Principal Physicist Radiation Protection

Employer Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust Town Guildford Salary £59,798 - £67,020 Per annum pro rate including high cost area supplement Salary period Yearly Closing 26/10/2026 23:59

Our Regional Radiation Protection Service (RRPS) is seeking a Principal Physicist to lead and innovate in radiation protection and diagnostic radiology. This is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of medical physics, shaping services that impact patient safety and clinical excellence across the NHS and beyond.

You’ll lead complex investigations, advise on compliance with IRR
17 and IR(ME)
R17, and support the design and safety of new facilities. Your expertise will help shape radiation safety standards across hospitals, private healthcare, and industry.

The Regional Radiation Protection Service (RRPS) provides comprehensive radiation protection, diagnostic radiology physics and X-ray engineering services out of the Royal Surrey County Hospital area mainly to the south and south west of the country, but also works nationally and internationally. Services include the statutory provision of Radiation Protection Advisers (RPA), Medical Physics Expert (MPE) in Diagnostic Radiology, Laser Protection Advisers (LPA), Radioactive Waste Advisers (RWA) and MR Safety Experts.

We have a team of 11 clinical scientists,11 medical physics technical officers, a computer scientist and 3 admin staff, plus postgraduate trainees and undergraduate students. The RRPS also provides advice and services to users of non-ionising radiations including MRI, lasers, radio frequency, ultraviolet and microwaves. The Service provides NHSBSP mammography services for the South East (East) region. The RRPS is active in income generation outside the NHS and provides a wide range of radiation protection advice and services to a variety of employers including corporate organisations, companies, private hospitals, dentists, vets and others.

The service is active in research, development and training, including organising courses both locally and at a national level.

Driving license and accessibility to a car are required for this role.

Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing program along with a commitment to developing and advancing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family will ensure you that you feel valued from your initial interview through your entire tenure.

We are clinically led and provide joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services alongside regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford with community hospital sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh. We provide adult community health services in homes across Guildford and Waverley.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have given us an overall rating of Outstanding.

Royal Surrey has a strong reputation and history to build on. We are proud of our achievements and we are investing in our colleagues through our commitment to supporting professional development as well as investing more than £45 million in our physical environment and new equipment in the next few years. There has never been a better time to join us.

Although it isn't the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

To be a Principal Physicist (clinical scientist) and a senior member of the Regional Radiation Protection (RRPS) team, working with other team members in the provision of a comprehensive radiation protection and radiological physics service to the NHS and outside bodies.

To act as a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 [IR(ME)
R2017].

To participate in all areas of work, and to take on responsibility for key aspects of the service.

The postholder works at a senior professional level, providing advice and services to employers facilitating compliance with ionising radiation legislation and working towards further certification such as RPA. Issues are very specialist, varied and highly complex. They will operate with a high degree of autonomy, particularly in the areas for which they are responsible.

Act as an MPE…