Therapy Medical Physicist (Adaptive Radiation Therapy)

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is Louisiana’s leading cancer care organization, caring for more patients each year than any other facility in the region. And with strategic hospital and physician partnerships, we are delivering on our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer.

Mary Bird Perkins and its partners work together to provide state-of-the-art treatments and unparalleled collaborative, comprehensive cancer services. This culture of innovation helps attract the best cancer minds in the country, from expert physicians and highly specialized scientists to forward-thinking leaders in supportive care and other disciplines.

Together, with our hospital and physician partners, we are one-hundred percent focused on cancer care.

Why Join Us? We are looking for talented and highly-motivated individuals who demonstrate a natural desire to support the meaningful work of community oncologists and the patients we serve.

Job Description:

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Full-Time | Competitive Salary | Comprehensive Benefits | Sign-On Bonus

Join Our Mission to Transform Cancer Care

For more than 50 years, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has led the fight against cancer in Louisiana. As the state’s largest cancer care organization—and the only one devoted exclusively to oncology—we care for more patients each year than any other provider in the region, guided by a single mission: to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. We pursue that mission with advanced technology, a deep commitment to research and education, and care that always puts the patient first.

We are seeking a Therapy Medical Physicist to join our team in Baton Rouge as we launch CBCT-guided online adaptive radiation therapy across our C-arm linac fleet. If you want to help stand up an adaptive program from the ground up—rather than inherit one—alongside nationally engaged physicists in a collaborative, academic, and deeply patient-centered environment, this is that opportunity.

About the Role

This is a full-scope clinical therapy physics role in a busy, multi-site cancer program. You will share responsibility for treatment planning quality, machine and patient-specific quality assurance, SRS and SBRT, motion-managed treatments, regulatory and accreditation compliance, and the acceptance and commissioning of new technology across our hub-and-spoke network. You will do that work alongside a team of roughly fifteen physicists and residents, on a modern Elekta fleet, with genuine variety in your week and real ownership of the programs you support.

The growth area—and the reason for this position—is adaptive radiotherapy . We treat patients on an Elekta Unity MR-linac as an Elekta Unity Center of Excellence , and we are now extending daily online adaptation to our C-arm fleet with Elekta Evo and the Elekta ONE Online adaptive platform . You will not simply support that program—you will help build it: commissioning the platform, validating auto-segmentation and synthetic-CT dose accuracy, writing the policies and procedures, and then serving as an adaptor at the console for patients whose anatomy changes day to day. How much of your time sits in adaptive versus the broader clinical service is something we will shape together, based on your interests and the needs of the program.

The role is built for growth as much as impact. You will have the opportunity to lead meaningful research, mentor residents in our CAMPEP-accredited Medical Physics Residency Program , and pursue an adjunct faculty appointment with LSU. Our in-house Physics DevOps program builds the clinical and QA software our physicists actually use—so if you write code, there is a real outlet for it here. At Mary Bird Perkins, physics is central to who we are—reflected in a leadership team that includes practicing medical physicists—so you will join a place where your discipline is understood, valued, and given real influence.

We welcome applications from both experienced adaptive physicists and strong recent graduates of CAMPEP-accredited residencies. Tell us where you are in your career; we will shape the role around it.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Excellence

- Serve as physicist-adaptor in online adaptive workflows on both C-arm linacs and the Unity MR-linac—real-time review and editing of auto-generated contours, oversight of on-table re-optimization, plan evaluation and selection, independent dose verification, and clearance of verification imaging prior to beam-on.

- Lead acceptance testing, commissioning, and clinical release of adaptive planning and delivery systems, including validation of deformable registration, auto-segmentation models by treatment site, and CBCT/synthetic-CT dose calculation accuracy.

- Develop and maintain adaptive-specific quality assurance —end-to-end testing, periodic QA of the adaptive chain, and independent monitor unit verification methodology for adapted plans consistent with AAPM TG-219.

- Perform and oversee routine and non-routine linac QA (AAPM TG-142, MPPG series), patient-specific QA, and annual regulatory testing across the treatment fleet.

- Provide physics support for SRS, SBRT, and hypofractionated treatments , including motion management and DIBH workflows.

- Oversee treatment planning quality in Monaco , including plan review, complexity surveillance, and secondary dose calculation.

- Conduct risk analysis and process mapping for new workflows using FMEA methodology per AAPM TG-100 .

- Ensure compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards (Louisiana state regulations, ACR/ASTRO APEx, TJC, NRC as applicable), and support the department’s institutional accountability for technical and regulatory performance.

- Contribute to technology evaluation, selection, and installation as the department continues a significant capital investment cycle.

- Train and mentor therapists, dosimetrists, and physician colleagues on adaptive workflows and new technology.

- Participate in the departmental after-hours and weekend physics call rotation .

Research & Education

- Pursue research in adaptive radiotherapy, dose accumulation, plan complexity, and treatment automation —active areas in our department with ongoing peer-reviewed output.

- Mentor medical physics residents in our CAMPEP-accredited consortium program, guiding research projects to publication-ready standards.

- Contribute to graduate education through teaching, curriculum development, or course direction in partnership with LSU .

- Contribute to Physics DevOps , our in-house software development program producing clinical and administrative tools used across the network.

- Engage with the medical physics community through AAPM, ASTRO, professional society service, and conference participation.

- Pursue continuous professional development to maintain certification and licensure.

Why Join Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center?

- Build, Don’t Inherit : Join at the launch of a C-arm adaptive program and shape how it is commissioned, staffed, and run—while working on one of the most established MR-linac programs in the region.

- A Physics-Driven Culture : Join an organization where medical physics is core to the mission, with a leadership team that includes practicing physicists, so your expertise helps shape real clinical and strategic decisions.

- Technology That Keeps Moving : Elekta Unity MR-linac, Elekta Evo with Iris, Elekta ONE Online adaptive, and an active capital pipeline—you will commission new equipment, not just maintain old equipment.

- Academic Partnership : Collaborate with LSU and our CAMPEP-accredited residency consortium, with the potential for an adjunct faculty appointment, teaching, and publishable research.

- Work That Matters : Improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer in a state with some of the nation’s highest cancer mortality—where your work changes outcomes for real patients and families.

- Room to Grow : Advance your career with discretionary research funding, continuing-education support, and the autonomy to lead, innovate, and make your mark.

- Life in Baton Rouge : Enjoy a low cost of living, rich culture and cuisine, and an easy pace of life in the heart of Louisiana—little more than an hour from New Orleans and close to the Gulf Coast.

Qualifications

Education

- M.S. or Ph.D. in Medical Physics from a CAMPEP-accredited program, or Ph.D. in Physics with equivalent medical physics training.

- Completion of a CAMPEP-accredited residency in Therapeutic Medical Physics.

Experience

- Online adaptive experience strongly preferred (Elekta ONE / Unity, Varian Ethos, or equivalent). Experience as an adaptor at the console is of particular interest.

- Proficiency with Monaco or comparable treatment planning systems; SRS/SBRT experience preferred.

- Experience with multi-site clinical operations and regulatory compliance is a plus.

- Scripting or software development experience ( Python ) is a plus given our in-house development program.

- Strong recent graduates of CAMPEP-accredited residencies are encouraged to apply; the role can be structured to support a physicist early in their career.

Certification & Licensure

- ABR certification in Therapeutic Medical Physics required, or board-eligible with a clear path to certification.

- Eligibility for licensure as a Medical Physicist in the State of Louisiana.

Skills & Competencies

- Sound, timely clinical judgment under real-time conditions—adaptive work happens with the patient on the table.

- Exceptional analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

- Ability to thrive in both independent and collaborative settings, and to work effectively with therapists, dosimetrists, and physicians.

- Passion for continuous learning and clinical excellence.

Compensation & Benefits

- Competitive Base Salary with a sign-on bonus .

- Incentive Pay Program .

- Discretionary Research Funding .

- Continuing Education Reimbursement to fuel your professional growth.

- Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance.

- 401(k)/403(b) with employer contributions.

- Generous Paid Time Off .

How to Apply

Ready to make a difference in cancer care? Submit your resume and cover letter to [email protected] . For more information about Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, visit https://marybird.org/services/physics/ .

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.