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Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
65 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Experience
Significant post-registration experience in a scientific healthcare, clinical engineering, medical physics, regulated engineering or medical device environment.
- Experience
Significant experience of medical device design, development, manufacture, modification or evaluation.
- Experience
Experience of leading or providing senior oversight of patient-specific devices, anatomical modelling, additive manufacturing, precision engineering or related specialist medical device services.
- Experience
Experience of working within quality management systems, including preparation of technical documentation, traceability records, risk assessments and audit-ready evidence.
- Experience
Experience of interpreting and applying medical device regulatory requirements, standards and guidance.
- Experience
Experience of coordinating complex multidisciplinary projects involving clinical, scientific, engineering, academic and external stakeholders.
- Experience
Experience of people management, including supervision, appraisal, objective setting and staff development.
- Experience
Experience of managing resources, equipment, service workflows or project budgets.
- Experience
Experience of developing service improvement, service development or business case proposals.
- Experience
Experience of research, development and innovation involving medical devices or healthcare technology.
- Experience
Experience of developing collaborations with clinicians, researchers, academic partners, industry or external innovation partners.
- Leadership
Ability to lead, manage and develop a multidisciplinary team effectively and sympathetically.
- Leadership
Ability to motivate staff, inspire confidence and create a cohesive team culture.
- Leadership
Ability to prioritise, delegate and supervise complex programmes of work across multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
- Leadership
Ability to develop and articulate a strategic vision for Medical Device Innovation.
- Leadership
Ability to identify service development opportunities and turn these into practical plans, business cases or funded projects.
- Leadership
Ability to manage change and introduce new technologies, services and working practices.
- Leadership
Ability to manage quality, risk and performance in a specialist clinical scientific service.
- Leadership
Ability to manage budgets, resources, equipment and facilities responsibly.
- Leadership
Ability to work collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries.
- Leadership
Ability to represent Medical Device Innovation and provide senior specialist advice on behalf of Clinical Engineering, as agreed with the Head of Clinical Engineering.
- Communication
Excellent interpersonal and collaborative working skills.
- Communication
Ability to communicate highly complex scientific, engineering, regulatory and risk information to clinical, academic, managerial, technical and non-specialist audiences.
- Communication
Ability to communicate risks, limitations and options clearly where stakeholders may have differing priorities or levels of technical understanding.
- Communication
Ability to negotiate solutions where conflicting clinical, technical, regulatory, operational or financial views exist.
- Communication
Ability to prepare clear written reports, policies, procedures, business cases, technical documentation and research governance submissions.
- Communication
Ability to present effectively to senior clinicians, Trust managers, academic partners and external stakeholders.
- Communication
Ability to chair complex multidisciplinary meetings effectively.
- Communication
Ability to develop networks and proactively create new collaborations with clinicians, researchers, industry and external partners.
- Communication
Ability to teach and explain complex technical or regulatory material to professional groups.
- Personal Qualities
Highly motivated with a commitment to innovation and improving patient care.
- Personal Qualities
Excellent attention to detail and strong commitment to quality, safety and professional accountability.
- Personal Qualities
Flexible and adaptable approach to changing priorities and service needs.
- Personal Qualities
Able to prioritise and manage own workload and that of the team, under pressure.
- Personal Qualities
Flexible and adaptable in response to changing clinical, operational and research priorities.
- Personal Qualities
Able to work constructively as part of a wider departmental leadership team.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to apply expert clinical scientific and engineering knowledge to the safe and optimal design, manufacture, configuration, modification and evaluation of medical devices and anatomical models.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to interpret complex clinical requirements and translate them into technical specifications, design outputs and safe engineering solutions.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to make balanced judgements in highly complex situations involving safety, clinical need, technical feasibility, regulatory compliance, quality, usability, cost and risk.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to provide highly specialised advice on medical device innovation for clinical care, surgical planning, research and service development.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to lead options appraisals, risk assessments and technical reviews for novel or modified medical devices.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to oversee CAD, image processing, 3D modelling, additive manufacturing and precision engineering workflows.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to produce, review and approve clear technical documentation, reports, procedures, risk assessments and design records.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to identify, evaluate and support adoption of emerging technologies relevant to medical device innovation.
- Scientific & Clinical
Ability to apply infection control, decontamination, materials compatibility and patient safety requirements to device design and manufacturing decisions.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Good (1st or 2nd class) honours level degree in Engineering or Physical Science, or equivalent combination of qualifications and experience.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Relevant MSc, MEng, PhD or equivalent level of specialist knowledge obtained through qualifications, training and experience.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
HCPC Registered Clinical Scientist or commitment and eligibility to register within 3 years of appointment.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Corporate Membership of a relevant Professional Institute (eg IPEM, IET, IMechE).
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Evidence of leadership and management training or equivalent development.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Advanced knowledge of medical device design, development, evaluation and manufacturing processes, including CAD, image segmentation, 3D modelling and additive manufacturing.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Advanced knowledge of relevant medical device legislation, standards and guidance, including UK medical device regulations, custom-made device requirements, ISO13485, ISO9001, risk management and research governance processes.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Advanced knowledge and understanding of the physical principles underlying measurement systems, electronic instrumentation its application to the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Advanced knowledge of electrical safety issues and the associated national and international technical standards for medical electrical equipment.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Advanced knowledge and understanding of the application of risk and quality management applied to the design, development, manufacture and management of medical devices and healthcare technology.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Broad knowledge of health and safety legislation and safe workshop / manufacturing practice.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Knowledge of research governance requirements relevant to medical device innovation projects, including how these interface with IRAS, technical file review and local approval processes.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Ability to identify unmet clinical needs and translate them into feasible innovation, engineering or research opportunities.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Ability to lead research, development and innovation projects involving medical devices.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Ability to support grant development, academic collaboration and dissemination of innovation outcomes.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Ability to evaluate novel devices, materials, manufacturing methods and clinical technologies.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Ability to support translation of innovation into safe clinical practice.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Evidence of research, development or innovation track record.
- Research, Development and Innovation
Record of presenting or publishing scientific, engineering or innovation work.
Desirable
6 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Experience
Experience of contributing to grants, publications, conference presentations or dissemination of scientific work.
- Experience
Experience of holding grants or managing funded innovation or research projects.
- Experience
Experience of involvement in regional, national or professional committees or networks.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Chartered Engineer or Chartered Scientist.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Project management qualification or evidence of formal project management training.
- Knowledge and Qualifications
Knowledge of grant funding, research collaboration agreements, intellectual property or innovation pathways.
Job overview
UCLH is a leading healthcare provider committed to delivering world-class patient care, research, and education. We are seeking a highly skilled, experienced and motivated scientist to support the Head of Clinical Engineering in leading, managing and developing our Medical Device Innovation Team within the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at UCLH.
This is a rare leadership opportunity to shape the future of Medical Device Innovation at one of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals. We have recently restructured our teams and, following the retirement of a long-standing postholder, we are using this moment to review and rebrand our service, broaden our ambition and lead UCLH in taking full advantage of new manufacturing technologies. We are looking for an inspiring Principal Clinical Scientist who can bring vision, pace and credibility to the Medical Device Innovation Team. You will build on established strengths in patient-specific cranioplasty implants, anatomical modelling and specialist mechanical engineering, while developing a broader innovation function that connects clinicians, researchers, UCL, industry and innovation networks. If you have a demonstrable track record in medical device design and innovation, and the enthusiasm, drive and ideas to develop this area of work, we want to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
You will lead the Medical Device Innovation Team at an exciting point in its development, setting direction, creating momentum and building a service that helps clinicians and researchers turn unmet clinical needs into safe, effective and compliant device solutions. You will be responsible for services including patient-specific cranioplasty implants, anatomical modelling, specialist mechanical engineering, medical device modification and customisation, and research, development and innovation involving medical devices. You will authorise work undertaken by the team, manage quality, safety, performance, resources and project budgets, and lead a multidisciplinary team of clinical scientists, mechanical engineers, technologists and apprentices. A major part of the role will be outward-facing: finding collaborators, developing opportunities, supporting grant development, using new manufacturing technologies intelligently, and helping UCLH translate innovation into clinical practice.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
The Head of Medical Device Innovation is responsible for providing operational, scientific and strategic leadership for the Medical Device Innovation Team within Clinical Engineering. The postholder will lead the development and delivery of specialist services supporting medical device innovation and create and communicate a clear vision aligned with Clinical Engineering, Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, UCLH strategy and the needs of clinical and research partners.
The postholder will provide highly specialist clinical scientific and engineering advice on the design, development, manufacture and evaluation of medical devices within the scope of Medical Device Innovation. They will interpret and apply relevant legislation, standards, quality systems and research governance requirements to work undertaken by the team, including UK medical device regulations, custom-made device requirements, ISO9001, ISO13485, IRAS and MDR-related processes. They will work with Medical Physics Quality & Governance colleagues where projects interface with IRAS, technical file review, regulatory assessment or Trust/UCL research approval processes.
The postholder will be responsible for activity, performance, quality, safety, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement of Medical Device Innovation services, including patient-specific cranioplasty implants, anatomical modelling, specialist mechanical engineering, medical device modification and customisation, and research, development and innovation involving medical devices. They will authorise work undertaken by the team within agreed governance, quality and regulatory arrangements, escalating to the Head of Clinical Engineering where senior approval is required.
The role includes leading operational delivery, managing referral pathways and workflows, monitoring service performance, managing resources and budgets associated with defined projects, ensuring safe use of facilities and specialist equipment, developing business cases and service development proposals, and supporting Clinical Engineering strategic planning.
The postholder will develop effective relationships across organisational and professional boundaries, including with clinical services, researchers, UCL, industry partners, suppliers and innovation networks. They will proactively identify unmet clinical needs, support grant development, lead or support collaborative innovation projects and promote translation into safe clinical practice.
The postholder will line manage assigned staff, maintain competency frameworks, support STP and other training, contribute to teaching and professional development, and promote a culture of quality, safety, professional accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*
* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.
UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.
To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Head of Medical Device Innovation Principal Clinical Scientist with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Clinical scientist role. The advertised salary is £75,328 - £86,114 per annum inclusive of HCAS. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 24 Sep 2026.
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