Division Director, Physics - Department of Radiation Oncology

Join the transformative team at City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. Our dedicated and compassionate employees are driven by a common mission: To deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today. 

Position Overview

The Department of Radiation Oncology at City of Hope seeks an exceptional, visionary, and collaborative leader to serve as Division Director of Physics. This is a senior leadership position at the executive director level responsible for the full spectrum of academic and clinical responsibilities across department clinical service, research, and teaching.

The Division Director will provide overarching leadership for medical physics and dosimetry services across Southern California while also playing a central role in shaping and overseeing City of Hope’s national physics program. This leader will work in close partnership with the Vice President of Clinical Operations and the Department Chair, with annual performance evaluations conducted jointly by both.

The recruited physicist leader will join a dynamic and expanding team that includes over 20 faculty and staff medical physicists, 2 physics residents, and more than 20 dosimetrists in Southern California.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Administration

• Provide strategic, operational, and visionary leadership for medical physics and dosimetry across Southern California clinics, while contributing significantly to the national physics enterprise.
• Oversee and direct medical physicists and dosimetrists to ensure high‑quality, safe, and innovative clinical physics support services consistent with departmental standards and professional guidelines.
• Collaborate closely with departmental leadership to develop and execute long-term strategic plans, technology acquisition, program development, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Serve as a key member of departmental leadership forums, representing physics in institutional planning and multidisciplinary initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and safety requirements across all sites.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Perform and supervise the full range of clinical physics and dosimetry services, including treatment planning support, machine QA, commissioning, and implementation of new technologies.
• Support a strong, multimodality clinical program—including all forms of external beam radiotherapy (including SBRT/SRS), brachytherapy, motion management, image‑guided radiotherapy, surface-guided radiation, and advanced technologies in place (e.g. adaptive radiation therapy, biology guided radiation, molecular imaging, radiopharmaceuticals) or being developed.

Education & Training

• Provide strong leadership across all educational mission areas.
• Oversee and coordinate training for residents, therapists, and dosimetry in the Radiation Oncology, Medical Physics, Radiation Therapy, and Dosimetry training programs.
• Promote excellence in teaching for trainees, students, and staff across the division.

Research & Innovation

• Foster a culture of academic excellence and innovation in clinical, translational, and technological research.
• Support and expand research and development activities across physics, dosimetry, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Encourage faculty engagement in grant development, scholarly activity, and national professional service.

Qualifications

• PhD in Medical Physics, Physics, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 8 years of relevant experience.
• Board certification in Therapeutic Medical Physics (ABR or equivalent).
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within a highly multidisciplinary environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in clinical physics operations, ideally across multiple sites or in a large integrated program.
• Strong record of academic achievement and excellence in research, teaching, and/or clinical innovation is preferred.
• Record of involvement in national and institutional service, and experience with externally funded research and ability to serve as principal investigator or co-investigator is preferred.
• Commitment to mentoring and developing faculty, staff, residents, and other trainees.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements. (e.g., APEx/ASTRO)

Opportunities & Impact

This position offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape a regional and national physics program within an internationally recognized cancer center. The Division Director will have the ability to influence clinical excellence across a large geographic network, contribute to the growth of City of Hope’s national radiation oncology program, and mentor the next generation of medical physicists, dosimetrists, and radiation oncology professionals.  Salary and academic rank will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.  For qualified candidates, a Vice Chair position may be offered.

Employer and Environment

City of Hope is a world‑renowned, National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated comprehensive cancer center distinguished by its commitment to compassionate patient care, scientific excellence, and translational innovation. City of Hope is consistently ranked a top 10 cancer hospital with U.S. News and World Report.  With a rapidly expanding national footprint, City of Hope combines cutting‑edge research, advanced clinical services, and a strong academic mission to deliver highly specialized, patient‑centered oncology care. Our national department leadership is centered in our main campus in Duarte, California, and a new radiation oncology center is in development with expected opening date in 2029.  The new center will be characterized by a beautiful patient-centric space and pioneering technologies to drive growth and innovation as a leading academic center in the western region of the country.  Our departmental environment is deeply collaborative, bringing together experts in many disciplines, including radiation oncology, medical physics, biology, data science, and engineering to accelerate discovery and improve outcomes. Faculty and staff benefit from access to leading‑edge technologies, robust portfolio of clinical trials, and institutional support for research, education, and professional growth. The culture emphasizes multidisciplinary teamwork, continuous learning, and a shared dedication to curing cancer and improving the lives of patients and families across diverse communities. 

How to Apply:

Interested applicants should submit a CV and cover letter addressed to Terence Williams, M.D., Ph.D., Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, and Terry Cooper, MLS, FACHE, MBA, Vice President, Clinical Operations, c/o Phyllis Burch at pburch@coh.org.  All inquiries can also be directed in confidence to Mrs. Phyllis Burch OR apply to this posting with your resume and cover letter attached. 

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

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