Cyclotron Manager

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About us

The King's College London and Guy's & St Thomas' PET Centre is part of both King's College London's (KCL's) Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). It is responsible for providing services to >8,000 patients and research participants per year from across South-East London and the wider UK. The PET Centre's scanning suites are critically dependent on radionuclides generated by a GE880 GE PETtrace cyclotron to supply the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Positron Emitting Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory (PERL) facility to produce a range of radiopharmaceuticals for human use. In parallel, the Research Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology (ICAB), part of the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, relies on both the GE PETtrace and a Siemens RDS112 cyclotron to provide radionuclides to its Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Laboratory (CARL) that produces a range of novel radiopharmaceuticals underpinning research programmes.

About the role

This post provides an exciting opportunity for an experienced cyclotron engineer to take on a senior role within our PET Centre and the Research Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology (ICAB).

The post holder will be responsible for managing both the GE880 GE PETtrace and RDS112 cyclotrons and associated equipment to ensure that they are able to meet the needs of the PERL and CARL radiochemistry laboratories and the wider PET and ICAB user groups. They will work closely with the Chemistry Operations Manager and will be a key point of contact and expertise for industry partners involved in radionuclide production. They will provide highly specialist mechanical and electrical engineering support for the cyclotrons and associated equipment in PERL and CARL. They will oversee the maintenance and development of all cyclotron-related activities and performance (e.g. radionuclide yields, targetry, ancillary equipment and infrastructure) to support routine radionuclide production in parallel with a range of research activities. They will also oversee maintenance and support of other specialist equipment within the facility (e.g. hot cells, automated platforms, dispensers, other equipment associated with the production of radiopharmaceuticals), including supporting validation of equipment according to GMP guidelines.

They will be responsible for planning preventative and corrective maintenance programmes, as well as ordering spare parts and dealing with faults and breakdowns. They will lead staff training in cyclotron operation and the reliable delivery of radionuclide production. They will also play a lead role in the investigation and communication of operational updates and issues to appropriate staff members including King's College London Engineers, and Estates and Facilities staff. The post holder will work closely with the operations, technical, research and administrative PET laboratory managers to optimise the day-to-day activities of the role and will have a key role in ensuring safety of all staff within the facilities.

This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Degree in engineering, physics or another allied subject; Or broad vocational experience, acquired through a combination of job-related vocational training and considerable on the job experience, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding relevant work/roles
2. Knowledge and experience of PET radionuclide production
3. Knowledge and experience of maintenance and operation of cyclotrons
4. Knowledge and experience of targetry
5. Knowledge and experience of working with automated systems such as synthesis platforms and dispensers
6. Excellent communication skills (written and spoken - including report writing, research presentation, team interaction etc.)
7. Knowledge and Experience of working in an EU GMP environment
8. Knowledge of up-to-date Ionising Radiation Regulations and Radiation Protection

Desirable criteria

1. Ability to organise own time and in a multi-disciplinary team
2. Flexible approach to hours and duties including early morning start when required
3. Experience with radiopharmaceutical production to EU GMP standards
4. Experience with a range of radionuclides and delivery systems

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click "Apply Now". This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and/or Occupational Health clearances.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers review your application, please take a look at our ' How we Recruit ' pages.

Interviews are due to be held week commencing 28 October 2024 (likely Wednesday 30 October).

This role does meet the requirements of the Home Office and therefore we are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who require the right to work in the UK.