Lead Maxillofacial Prosthetist

Job overview

We are excited to offer a rare and high-profile opportunity for a Lead Maxillofacial Prosthetist to join the Maxillofacial Prosthetics service at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. This is a senior leadership role within a highly specialised service delivering complex prosthetic rehabilitation for patients with acquired and congenital craniofacial defects, including those arising from head and neck cancer, trauma and complex medical conditions.

The postholder will lead a combined clinical and laboratory service, providing expert care to patients with significant functional and aesthetic needs, often at critical points in their treatment and recovery. In addition to maintaining an advanced clinical caseload, the role provides responsibility for the operational leadership, performance and development of the service, offering a unique opportunity to shape and influence the future direction of maxillofacial prosthetics within a leading NHS organisation.

Based within the Academic Centre of Reconstructive Science at Guy’s Hospital, the role offers access to a world-class multidisciplinary and academic environment, with strong links to King’s College London and opportunities to contribute to innovation, teaching and research at a national level.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Maxillofacial Prosthetist will combine expert clinical practice with service leadership, managing a complex caseload of patients requiring highly specialised prosthetic rehabilitation, including facial, intraoral, body and implant-retained devices. The postholder will work autonomously and as a core member of multidisciplinary teams, contributing specialist expertise to complex clinical decision-making across a range of pathways.

Alongside clinical responsibilities, the role is accountable for the day-to-day operational delivery of the maxillofacial prosthetics service and laboratory. This includes managing patient pathways, overseeing service capacity and waiting lists, and ensuring coordination between clinical and technical activity. The postholder will lead and develop a skilled team of prosthetists, technicians and trainees, providing leadership and direction while fostering a high-performing environment.

The role also includes responsibility for governance, quality and regulatory compliance, including quality management systems associated with custom-made medical devices. The postholder will play a key role in implementing service improvements, including digital workflows and emerging technologies, and will contribute to education, training and research within a recognised academic centre.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will provide advanced clinical and technical expertise in the assessment, planning and delivery of complex maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation, working directly with patients whose conditions often have significant functional, aesthetic and psychological impact. This includes the design and manufacture of bespoke prosthetic devices using a combination of traditional techniques and advanced digital technologies.

They will be responsible for the organisation and delivery of the maxillofacial prosthetics service and laboratory, ensuring that clinical and technical activity is effectively planned, prioritised and coordinated to meet patient demand and service objectives. This includes monitoring service performance, managing capacity and addressing delays to ensure equitable and timely access to care.

The role includes full line management responsibility for the prosthetics and technical team, ensuring appropriate workforce planning, staff development and performance management. The postholder will provide leadership and support to a multidisciplinary team, promoting a culture of high performance, continuous learning and professional development.

The postholder will lead on governance, quality and regulatory compliance, ensuring the safe design, manufacture and provision of custom-made medical devices in line with relevant standards and legislation. This includes maintaining robust quality management systems, ensuring traceability and audit, and managing clinical and operational risks.

They will contribute to service development and innovation, including the implementation of digital workflows, new technologies and improved models of care, working closely with clinical and managerial colleagues to enhance patient outcomes and service efficiency. The role also includes active involvement in education, training and research, supporting undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, mentoring trainees and contributing to the wider academic output of the department.