Job overview
The MRI Physics Section at UCH is seeking an experienced and motivated Clinical Scientist to take Scientist to take on a senior deputy leadership role alongside the MRI Section Head.
Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will provide expert MR safety advice and leadership, driving best practice in MR Safety across the clinical MR portfolio. You will also lead on quality improvement, research and the ongoing development of clinical services as they expand.
You will join a team with a strong translational MRI research tradition, working closely with clinical and academic partners at UCL to promote and deliver activities that translate innovation into clinical practice, making a tangible impact on patient care.
You will also take responsibility for the training and supervision of future Clinical Scientists undertaking the National School of Healthcare Science Scientist Training Scheme.
This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a leadership role within a growing team and to influence MRI safety, quality, teaching, training, research and innovation at UCH.
Main duties of the job
As Principal Clinical Scientist and Deputy Head of the MRI Physics Team, you will play a central role in shaping the strategic direction and operational delivery of MRI Physics services, ensuring high-quality support to the Trust and to external stakeholders.
You will contribute at a senior level to decision-making across the service, and operating with a high degree of autonomy with the capacity to advise and act independently as an MR Safety Expert (MRSE).
A key aspect of the role will be in developing effective working relationships and practices across organisational and professional boundaries, including partners in clinical and academic science, medical colleagues and external stakeholders.
This is a highly rewarding opportunity for a senior Clinical Scientist ready to step into a broader leadership role and make a significant impact on the future direction of MRI services at UCLH.
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 Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering is a central resource of professional scientific and engineering knowledge and skills within UCLH. Our services support clinical services and research and development at UCLH and UCL.
The UCLH MRI Physics Section provides direct support to clinical teams at UCLH and to researchers, predominantly at UCLH and UCL, across the following areas of work:
- Provision of MRI Safety Advice.
- Strategic development of clinical MRI services, both at Trust level and within the North Central London Integrated Care System
- Support for research, development and clinical translation.
- Staff Training, including development of Clinical Scientist trainees.
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?
Person specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- 1st or 2nd Honours degree in a Physical Science or equivalent
- Masters degree or equivalent experience
- State Registration as a Clinical Scientist with the HCPC
- Professional Institute Membership
- IPEM certification as an MRSE, or able to apply for certification within a reasonable timeframe.
Desirable
- PhD degree or equivalent research experience
Skills and Abilities: Values
Essential
- Evidence of self-motivation, initiative and enthusiasm
Experience: Scientific and Technical
Essential
- Experience of a scientific healthcare environment
- Experience of a variety of computing systems and application packages
- Experience of image acquisition with a clinical scanner
- Experience of image processing techniques
- Experience of quality assurance of clinical MRI equipment
- Experience in risk assessment and installation of MRI units, including manipulating MRI test objects, gaussmeters and acoustic noise meters with a high degree of accuracy to produce results within a narrow margin of error.
- Experience of at least one programming language used for research (eg python, matlab)
Experience: Management and Leadership
Essential
- Experience of providing services in a healthcare environment
- Experience of supervision, training and/or management of scientists / trainees
- Experience of identifying service development or research opportunities
- Experience of participating in committees / working groups involving scientific and technical information
Desirable
- Experience of managing resources within a project
- Experience of MRI Pulse sequence programming
- Experience of working with a Quality Management System
Knowledge and Qualifications: Clinical
Essential
- Advanced knowledge of clinical practice and the role of MRI Physics
- Knowledge of relevant anatomy, physiology and pathology
- Good understanding of the hazards and risks of MRI in the clinical environment
- Knowledge and understanding of quality and risk management as they apply to MRI Physics
Skills and Abilities: Values: Communication
Essential
- Good track record of disseminating scientific work through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations consistent with career stage
- Ability to produce clear and unambiguous reports and procedures which can be understood by staff and stakeholders from a variety of professions
- Ability to communicates complex information at postgraduate level to other professional groups
- Ability to communicate with patients in a relaxed, caring and professional manner
- Able to train groups of other professional staff
- Able to deliver teaching and training on complex subjects
- Ability to communicate with Trust management and convey technical information at an appropriate level
- Ability to create strong working relationships with other departments and external clients
- Ability to negotiate solutions to problems where conflicting views exist
- Able to deal with complex and unpredictable situations
Skills and Abilities: Scientific and Clinical
Essential
- Ability to apply knowledge and experience in making judgements regarding the safe operation of clinical MRI equipment
- Ability to provide MRI safety advice in a clinical setting
- Ability to perform options appraisals based on a range of information and judgements
- Ability to provide advice on the use of clinical MRI equipment for patient diagnosis, management and treatment for routine care and when planning and implementing a research programme
- Skill at approaching scientific and technical problems in a logical manner
- Ability to initiate and self-manage Quality Improvement and translational Research projects
- Ability to introduce changes to improve the clinical service
- Ability to organise own workload
- Good computing skills including programming skills and using signal and image processing applications and knowledge of higher programming language (e.g. Matlab, Python etc.)
- Able to operate a range of clinical MRI systems
- Good data analysis skills
Knowledge and Qualifications: Management and Leadership
Essential
- Knowledge of how to offer effective supervision
- Understanding of quality and performance management and their application to MRI Physics
Desirable
- Knowledge of appropriate standard and systems of financial accountability in a public sector organisation
Management and Leadership and Specific personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to supervise trainees effectively and sympathetically
- Able to encourage colleagues and contribute positively to the team
- Ability to manage and direct senior and junior staff sensitively and effectively
- Ability to articulate and report the status of assigned projects and systems
- Able to exercise initiative to solve problems when dealing with issues within own specialist area of competence
- Able to prioritise and manage own time and workload under pressure
- Ability to act as a line manager
- Great attention to detail
- Commitment to develop and communicate the contribution of MRI Physics to healthcare
- Ability to use computer software to gather, organise and process information
- Willing to work some unsocial hours
- Willing to work with experimental models of disease
Desirable
- Research and development track record
- Record of presenting work at scientific meetings
Knowledge and Qualifications: Scientific and TechnicalExperience
Essential
- Specialist knowledge as a MR Safety Expert to act as the MRSE.
- Advanced theoretical and technical knowledge in MRI
- Knowledge of quality assurance of MRI equipment
- Knowledge and experience of clinical applications of MRI
- Understanding of relevant national standards, guidelines and legislations relevant to MRI including MHRA, IEC, CEMFAW, Caldicott, GDPR, COSHH and Health & Safety at Work Act
- Knowledge of DICOM standards and anonymization
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for MRI Principal Clinical Scientist with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Health science services role. The advertised salary is £75,328 - £86,114 per annum inclusive of HCAS. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 02 Aug 2026.
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