Head of Service - Clinical ScientistNHS

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to lead in the development of the clinical MR physics service within Newcastle and the North-East and North Cumbria region. You will work alongside the section lead for MR and Ultrasound Physics and other members of the MR physics team in shaping the MR physics service that we provide to a diverse range of NHS and non-NHS MR services, including specialist neurosciences, cardiothoracic, radiotherapy and children's MR departments. We currently provide support for 33 MR systems, including 1.5 T and 3 T systems, in both acute and Community Diagnostic Centre settings.

The MR physics service is part of the Imaging Physics and Radiation Safety Unit, which provides services to ionising and non-ionising imaging providers across the Nort-East and North Cumbria region. We also deliver teaching in conjunction with Newcastle University on one of three academic Medical Physics STP programmes in England, and clinical scientist training as part of the Northern Training Consortium.

• Interview Date Wednesday 21 October 2026
• 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

We're looking for an MR clinical scientist with significant experience in the provision of clinical support to MR services, including complex safety support, service development and teaching. Your enthusiasm and strategic vision will help develop and shape MR physics services in the North-East and North Cumbria region.

Key elements of the role include:

• Provision of expert clinical and safety support to a diverse range of MR departments.
• You will have managerial responsibility for the MR physics service.
• You will be appointed as MRSE and lead in the provision of clinical MR physics support to one or more NHS trusts in the North-East and North Cumbria region.
• For appointment at band 8B, you will hold the IPEM MRSE
• Certificate of Competence or be able to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and experience to apply for this on or before being appointed in the role.
• You will provide support for advanced imaging services as required (e.g. fMRI, DTI, cardiac, MR-RT) and complex implant scanning (e.g. CIEDs, neurostimulators, off-label scanning).
• You will contribute to teaching on the Newcastle University Medical Physics MSc programme and other formal and informal teaching provided by the MR physics service.
• You will collaborate with colleagues within the Trust and the University of Newcastle on translational research projects.

Job description

The MR physics service also has strong links with the MR research group at the University of Newcastle, and you will be involved in collaboration with the group to further develop translational research activities, in addition to supporting clinical research within the Trust.

The role will involve visits to other NHS trusts around the region so requires a willingness to travel to other sites on a regular basis. This also means that there are opportunities to live not just within Newcastle itself, but anywhere in the wider North-East and North Cumbria region, from coastal Northumberland to the Pennines.

Please note that while our goal is to appoint an MR Clinical scientist with extensive experience in MR physics and proven leadership ability at Band 8b, exceptional candidates without the required experience to be appointed at 8b may be appointed at a Band 8a initially. Progression to Band 8b will require completion of competencies within a 1 3 year period. We therefore strongly encourage early and middle career MR clinical scientists to apply for this post.

Band 8b

• Responsible for the provision of one or more IPRS services, as detailed in role descriptor, to the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NUTH) and other customer Trusts in Northern England
• Provides professional leadership in area of expertise
• Maintains and develops high standards of service provision throughout their area of responsibility
• Develops implements and monitors clinical and organisational strategies within areas of expertise
• Initiates, develops and delivers research and development activities for healthcare advancement
• Manages a team of clinical scientists and technologists delivering the service
• Contributes to service and staff development throughout NMPCE

Band 8a - Salary £57,528 - £64,750

• Performs a range of advanced healthcare science activities
• Participates in the teaching and training commitments of the Service
• Maintains and develops high standards of service provision throughout their area of responsibility
• Contributes to the development, implementation and monitoring of clinical and organisational strategies within area of expertise
• Initiates, in collaboration with the line manager, the development and delivery of research and development activities for healthcare advancement

Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:

• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Freeman Hospital
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Cramlington Manor Walks
• Urgent treatment centres
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust