Head, Department of Radiation Oncology

Head, Department of Radiation Oncology

Nova Scotia Health/Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine

Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia Health (NSH) and Dalhousie University’s (DAL) Faculty of Medicine are inviting applications for the position of Head, Department of Radiation Oncology. This is a wonderful opportunity for an accomplished individual with demonstrated clinical, academic, and administrative leadership experience, and a vision to lead the clinical and academic mandates of this dynamic department in the years ahead. 

About the Opportunity

The department head position is a five-year, limited-term appointment. The successful applicant will also be offered a continuing academic appointment in the department. The department head position is subject to renewal for a second five-year term, conditional on satisfactory annual performance evaluations and a positive review of the first term as head.

The head is accountable to NSH and DAL for the delivery of clinical, academic, and administrative services that are local, provincial, and regional in scope. Dalhousie is the medical school for the three Maritime Provinces. As a result, the Department of Radiation Oncology is involved in the teaching of medical students and residents throughout this region and is expected to take a leadership role in the development of health research programs across the full spectrum of care, and across the lifespan, from prevention and treatment to health services and population-based approaches. Ultimately, the department has a responsibility for assessing the needs and supplying medical specialists within the region.

About the Department, NSH and DAL

The Department of Radiation Oncology is an integral part of Nova Scotia Health and the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. The department’s clinical activities are conducted under the auspices of Nova Scotia Health. The Department Head is the leader of the Provincial Program of Cancer Care in Radiation Oncology. The patient care activities are situated at the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre/QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Cape Breton Cancer Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It delivers high quality radiation therapy to patients with cancer across Atlantic Canada, using cutting edge technology, and works closely with provincial cancer site teams to ensure delivery of high-quality care to patients. Staff physicians and medical physicists participate in clinical trials and the department has an established role in the development of new technologies that improve outcomes for patients and advance treatment standards. Innovative and grant-funded research into novel approaches in radiation therapy is undertaken through close involvement with Masters and Doctoral degree programs in Medical Physics at Dalhousie University. The department has an impressive Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada accredited residency training program and contributes to undergraduate medical teaching. The department consists of 22 radiation oncologists, 18 physicists, 3 medical oncologists, and 2 radiation therapists located across the Maritimes at the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre in Halifax, Cape Breton Regional Healthcare Complex in Sydney, Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, and the PEI Cancer Centre in Charlottetown, PEI. For more information on the department, please see our website.

Nova Scotia Health is the largest employer in the province. More than 23,000 employees, 2,500 physicians and 7,000 volunteers combine to provide care at more than 45 facilities throughout the province. The Central Zone provides core health services to 425,000 Halifax region residents and tertiary and quaternary acute care services to residents of Atlantic Canada. The QEII Health Sciences Centre is the principal teaching hospital affiliated with Dalhousie University, and a centre for health care research.

Dalhousie University is the leading graduate and research university of Atlantic Canada, with more than 20,000 students coming from 115 countries, registered in over 200 degree programs across 13 Faculties. Its medical school teaches scientific excellence and humanity in medicine, facilitates leading health research, influences social and health policy, and helps drive the regional economy. Through Dalhousie, the Department of Radiation Oncology is affiliated with New Brunswick’s Horizon Health Network and has additional affiliated staff throughout the Maritime provinces.

Experience and Qualifications

The successful candidate will have an MD Degree, hold or be eligible for medical licensure in Nova Scotia, and hold or be eligible for certification in Radiation Oncology by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

To be considered for this role you are a consummate professional and you embody the principles of accountability, transparency, collaboration, and fairness. You are a visionary, team player and outstanding communicator, and you will use your skills and experience to create a positive and effective environment to enable excellent, collaborative care and learning. In addition, you have the ability to balance and achieve alignment among the academic and clinical mandates of the department and the strategic directions of the Faculty of Medicine and NSH. You will also have demonstrated ability to guide, direct and administer academic responsibilities in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education, while promoting departmental research efforts. 

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons with a disability, racialized persons, including persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), women, persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity.

How to Apply
Applications must include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and summary statements of clinical, teaching, research, and administrative interests and experience (maximum 2 pages per statement). You will also be prompted to complete a self-identification questionnaire via the application portal (PeopleAdmin), which is a required component of the application. Apply here: https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/11613 by December 15, 2022.