"Assistant Radiation Safety Officer/Senior Health Physicist"

Job Details

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Unit: Occupational Health & Safety

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Assistant Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the University and VCU Health maintain compliance with state and federal requirements that apply to research and medical applications of radioactive materials and radiation-producing devices.

Operating with minimal supervision, the ARSO leads complex projects and serves as a technical expert across multiple functional areas. This role requires extensive collaboration with principal investigators, physicians, research staff, students, support teams, and medical center partners to review research protocols, identify potential compliance risks, and provide expert guidance to maintain a safe and compliant research environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Reviews research protocols for use of radiation and radioactive materials in humans in accordance with institutional policies and procedures, state and federal law and best practice.
• Evaluate IACUC protocols involving radiation use.
• Ability to conduct or develop the skills to conduct shielding evaluations, including design assessments and radiation surveys for spaces requiring ionizing radiation protection.
• Perform laboratory safety assessments pertaining to research use of radioactive material.
• Assist in managing the laser safety program including performing laser hazard evaluations and inspections for research applications, ensuring compliance with laser safety standards.
• Work with RSO to coordinate all RDRC protocol reviews, Internal dosimetry calculations and FDA submissions.
• Provide technical guidance and manage radiation safety audits of radiochemistry research in Medicine and Engineering
• Manage the research X Ray safety program
• Support the day to day operations of the radiation safety team as needed.
• Perform duties as assigned by RSO to support critical radiation safety program operations and special projects.
• Support and collaborate among the OHS team as needed for operational or emergency response needs.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Health or radiological physics, medical physics, nuclear engineering with minimum 3 years experience or a Bachelor's degree in Health or Radiological Physics with a Certified Health Physicist Certification (CHP)
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
• Understanding of radiation protection principles (ALARA, dosimetry, shielding, etc.).
• Ability to use radiation detection instruments.
• Competence in technical writing and data analysis.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear, concise technical documents such as lab inspection reports, incident summaries, and environmental quality assessments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively, work independently, prioritize tasks, and collaborate as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills, with the ability to build partnerships across a wide range of research and academic personnel.

Preferred Qualifications

• CLSO ( Certified Laser Safety Officer)
• Experience in a medical/research setting.
• Experience on a broad scope radioactive materials license and managing a Research Laser program.
• Certification by at least one of the following: American Board of Health Physics (AAHP), American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP - Medical Health Physics), American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM - Radiation Protection), American Board of Radiology (ABR - Diagnostic or Nuclear Medical Physics)

Salary Range: $95,000 - $120,000, Commensurate with experience

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Sensitive Position: Yes

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No