Therapeutic Medical Physicist

Summary Therapeutic Medical Physicists work in Radiation Oncology and have responsibilities that include: protection of the patient and others from harmful radiation; establishment of protocols to ensure accurate patient dosimetry; the measurement of radiation used for radiotherapy; the performance and supervision of treatment planning; advancement of procedures to ensure delivered dose integrity; development and direction of quality assurance programs; and compliance with federal and state regulations. Duties - Recommending an optimal modality and treatment technique for the patient.- Evaluating the quality, safety, and accuracy of radiation treatments planned anddelivered to patients, thus ensuring that radiation dose ls carried out correctlyand completely- Safely operating all radiation planning and delivery devices.- Implementing radiation therapy of outstanding technical difficulty and responsibility, providing knowledge-based solutions to resolving issues where norule-based solutions exist.- Planning and directing a specialized program encompassing all physics and clinical aspects of external beam and brachytherapy (if applicable) treatment procedures from treatment simulation to treatment planning to the actual treatment delivery.- Providing technical oversight for the work of entry level TMPs, medical dosimetrists and radiation therapists.- Overseeing radiation therapy treatment planning- Designing and approving treatment plans- Monitoring the accuracy of treatment data recorded in the patient's medical records- Providing consultation to the radiation oncologist regarding difficult treatmentcases- Performing patient-specific treatment validation measurements- Developing medical physics policies and procedures for the delivery and quality assessment of advanced treatment modalities such as intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and brachytherapy.- Developing, operating and fully documenting the medical physics quality assurance program and ensures regulatory compliance within the RadiationSafety Officer's radiation safety program.- Physicist shall be available, when necessary, for consultation with the Radiation Oncologist and to provide advice or direction to technical staff when radiation treatments are being planned or when patients are being treated. Where possible, should be present to observe and/or help supervise complicated simulations and/or treatment set-ups. Physicist must be present at the machine during patient setup for SBRT/SRS and IGRT.- Safely utilizing and properly operating all radiation oncology equipment, and is therefore qualified and responsible for educating radiation oncology team members including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and dosimetrists in safety issues that relate to radiotherapy planning and delivery.- The employee performs the following actions to assist in the implementation of new equipment and processes: 1) Assesses radiation therapy equipment needs 2) Performs acceptance testing and commissioning of new radiation therapy equipment 3) Evaluates the adequacy of room shielding4) Performs radiation surveys 5) Develops and implements treatment processes.- Provide support for clinical research trials, including submission of radiation plans, DICOM datasets as needed.- The advanced level TMP must be a subject matter expert and experience in the following: Five (5) years of experience - Documentation detailing experience in performing QA procedures. Three (3) years of experience - Documentation detailing Therapeutic Medical Physics in a healthcare system that is ACR or APEx certified. Three (3) years of experience - Varian Linear Accelerator: TrueBeam following standards of TG-142 Three (3) years of experience -Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) including Cone Beam CT (following standards of TG-142). Three (3) years of experience - Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT) including Identify or Align RT Three (3) year of experience - Raystation treatment planning system; and ARIA record & verify system, including the following treatment modalities: 2D/3D Conformal, SBRT, and IMRT/VMAT (following standards of TG-53) Three (3) years of experience - IMRT QA: MapCheck I/II (or equivalent. Three (3) years of experience -Siemens CT Simulator (or equivalent) and following standards of TG-66 Successfully perform one (1) acceptance testing (i.e., work with vendor to ensure proper working condition during installation) on a linear accelerator. Successfully perform one (1) commission of (i.e., gathered necessary measurements or data) a linear accelerator for a treatment planning system. Three (3) years of experience - Adaptive radiation therapy treatments and delivery systems Work Schedule: 7:30 am-4:00pm Monday-Friday Functional Statement #: 580-02041-F Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. English Language Proficiency: TMPs must be proficient in spoken and written English. Education: Master's degree or higher in a physics, science, or engineering discipline recognized by an accredited college or university with at least 30 semester hours in medical physics, health physics, radiological science, physics, engineering, chemistry, or biology; or an equivalent foreign degree and coursework substantiated by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations for GS-601-14: In addition to the basic requirements, completion of a minimum of 1 year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Preferred Experience: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to oversee the technical development and implementation of new radiotherapy techniques and modalities. This includes knowledge of current standards of care, VA policies, trends and changes in delivery technology, as well as fair, principled, and decisive leadership practices. 2. Ability to optimize technical infrastructure and workflow for streamlined operations in the department of radiation oncology. This includes the knowledge and application of techniques such as Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). 3. Ability to assess the qualifications and abilities of current and prospective employees, to include staff performance evaluations and professional development. 4. Advanced knowledge of regulatory requirements, manufacturer's standards, and professional society guidelines for performing quality assurance of radiation therapy equipment to include accelerators, simulators, and high dose rate/low dose rate brachytherapy delivery systems. 5. Ability to use written and verbal communication with a strong command of technical writing considerations. 6. Ability to collaborate with the members of other disciplines and supervisors and to represent the profession both in and outside of VHA. This includes knowledge of the roles, contributions, and interrelationships with other health care specialties and supporting divisions. 7. Knowledge of instructional methods and documenting competencies. 8. Ability to manage and supervises employees Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 14. Physical Requirements: No special physical requirements Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.