Chief Dosimetrist - Radiation Oncology

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)•Galveston, TX

About The Position

The Chief Dosimetrist is responsible for overseeing all aspects of treatment planning and dose calculation for radiation oncology patients, ensuring precise and safe delivery of prescribed radiation doses. This role includes leadership of the dosimetry team, workflow optimization, quality assurance coordination, and collaboration with physicians, medical physicists, therapists, and other members of the radiation oncology care team. The Chief Dosimetrist serves as a technical expert, educator, and operational leader, driving continuous improvement in patient care, technology adoption, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in medical dosimetry, radiation therapy, physical sciences, or related field.
Graduate of a Medical Dosimetry JRCERT accredited program.
Minimum of 5 years of experience of comprehensive clinical medical dosimetry experience, (including advanced treatment techniques), and to include:
1 year experience with the RayStation treatment planning system;
1 year experience with commercially available vendor neutral imaging software (e.g., MIM, Velocity)
Certification in Medical Dosimetry (CMD) from the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB).

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management Lead, supervise, and mentor a team of dosimetrists.
Manage scheduling, workload distribution, and performance evaluations.
Foster a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Ensure ongoing staff competency through training and professional development opportunities.
Function as an advocate for the interests of the dosimetrists
Participate in Strategic Planning and development of Policies and Procedures
Interact and cooperate with all personnel of the department in a courteous, professional manner
Initiate team effort by assisting other clinical service groups and/or co-workers as needed
Assist project leads with the writing and presentation of technical reports and presentation materials.
Equitably and responsibly distribute workload and coordinate all tasks in assigned external beam dosimetry group
Actively responsible for managing the completion of dosimetry duties in a timely and accurate manner
Approve vacation and sick leave requests for Dosimetrists in assigned external beam dosimetry group
Responsible for specific group coverage and communication with other Clinical Supervisors to provide appropriate global staffing levels
Approve overtime to remain within overtime budget while meeting clinical needs.
Coordinate Dosimetrist coverage of treatment simulations and tumor localization, including virtual simulations for radiation therapy treatment planning
Perform New Employee and Dosimetry student Orientations (NEOP)
Complete performance evaluation process within established time limits
Recommend required disciplinary actions as needed for Dosimetrists in the external beam dosimetry group
Perform service-specific competency assessment as required by the Dosimetry Professional Development model
Coordinate the distribution and collection of staff evaluation forms to the Medical Physicists, Faculty, and Dosimetrists for assessment after medical dosimetry rotations.
Design and generate optimal treatment plans using advanced planning systems (e.g., IMRT, VMAT, SBRT, 3DCRT.
Develop optimal treatment plans which include multi-modality imaging for use in rigid and deformable registration, respiratory gating, and daily assessment of CBCT for dose tracking and possible treatment adaptation.
Perform accurate dose calculations and documentation in compliance with physician prescriptions and established protocols.
Collaborate with Radiation Oncologists to develop individualized treatment strategies.
Work closely with Medical Physicists to ensure accuracy of dose delivery and machine calibration data integration.
Oversee dosimetric quality assurance processes to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.
Implement and monitor departmental policies, protocols, and safety standards.
Participate in incident reporting, root cause analysis, and corrective action planning.
Maintain compliance with accreditation bodies (ACR, ASTRO-APEx, etc.) and applicable federal/state regulations.
Evaluate and implement new treatment planning technologies and workflows.
Optimize efficiency while maintaining high standards of accuracy and patient care.
Stay current with advancements in radiation oncology planning and delivery techniques.
Support departmental educational programs (e.g., Residency programs) through scheduling and teaching.
Responsible for training Dosimetrists in all policies and procedures relevant to external beam dosimetry.
Responsible for developing and presenting in-services and training (clinical research nurses, medical dosimetry staff, etc.) as needed
Participate in continuing education efforts of the department and division
Attend local, state and national conferences and meetings; keep up with new techniques and professional developments
Facilitate educational activities for Dosimetry in-services
Make recommendations to the Director of Physics for the recruitment and retention of Dosimetrists. Work with department leadership to initiate recruitment and advertisements
Work with the Administrative Director and Director of Physics to ensure compensation issues such as merits, promotions, and fairness are addressed
Prepare monthly report detailing number of each procedure performed by staff, paid hours of employees including overtime, and other information required by the Administrative Director
Responsible for reviewing and approving timekeeping (e.g., Kronos) edits by dosimetry staff
Promote and display intra/inter service coordination for a cohesive seamless operation, which provides reasonable assurance that department operations are effective and efficient
Participate in budget planning, resource allocation, and capital equipment requests.
Prepare and maintain reports on productivity, quality metrics, and operational performance.
Represent the dosimetry team in leadership and multidisciplinary meetings.
Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
Performs related duties as required.