Chief of Radiology

We are seeking an experienced Chief of Radiology to lead the Radiology Department at either Policlinico San Donato branch in Najaf, Iraq, or Istituti Ospedalieri Bergamaschi branch in Basra, Iraq.

This role demands exceptional leadership and management to drive operational efficiency, service quality, and the professional development of the Radiology team.

The Chief of Radiology will be responsible for the department’s strategic direction, financial planning, compliance with healthcare standards, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. The role also involves overseeing staff performance, resource management, and continuous improvements in radiology services, ensuring alignment with the hospital's strategic goals.

 

Key Responsibilities:

Operational & Professional Management:

• Lead, coach and develop the Radiology Management Team, planning work programs to ensure an integrated efficiency and modernization framework delivery.
• Provide expert advice, support, direction, and leadership concerning radiology clinical practice and development.
• Directly Line manage the Radiology Sector Managers, Consultant Reporting Radiographer, and Radiology Assistant Service Manager, responsible for the full range of HR issues, e.g., conduct, capability and attendance management.
• Promote patient care and maintain the department's integrity in line with the National code of conduct and the College of Radiographers.
• Support the General Manager, Diagnostics and Clinical Director in negotiating budgetary planning to ensure all expenditure is fully understood and justified and staff are committed to delivering the financial targets.
• Accountability for managing the demand for additional staffing while achieving targets and demonstrating improvements in staffing resource indicators (i.e., vacancy levels, turnover, sickness absence, etc.), thereby ensuring efficient use of agreed staffing establishment and budget.
• Accountable for Radiology spending against delegated budgets, including equipment planning, budgeting, and the relevant procurement process for radiology services.
• Support the CD to deliver effective and efficient radiology services that achieve all quality and performance targets.
• As Professional Lead for Diagnostic Radiographers, ensure effective communication with multidisciplinary teams and provide effective leadership to all staff within the Radiology Directorate.
• Keep up to date with and contribute to National initiatives by the attendance of national meetings.
• Responsible for proposing and implementing Directorate policies. Contribute to policy development and implementation as most Hospital and Primary care services interact with and rely on providing diagnostic imaging.

Service Planning and Modernization:

• To be accountable for integrating and delivering single system Radiology service, including managing financial and physical resources, performance, policy development, service review, and staff development, including partnership working with appropriate agencies.
• Support the Service Director and CD and, as required, lead in the delivery of capacity planning, business continuity and service change, e.g., modeling activity capacity and financial plans, assessing the impact on service/waiting times and regional/national programs to support the Division's agenda on economic viability and service modernization.
• Initiate and implement often complex audit to analyze and improve an area of the Radiology Service. e.g., number and type of CT scans, by time, and referral source to assess staffing requirements.
• Collaborate with General Manager, Diagnostics, to deliver service planning and strategy development for the Radiology Service in line with the existing Radiology strategy, ensuring robust operational plans are in place.

Performance Management:

• With General Manager, Diagnostics and CD ensure the development of a culture of performance management that supports the continuous improvement of services and critical review of progress against key objectives and deliver a performance management framework that includes:
  • Financial objectives
  • Waiting times targets
  • Clinical Governance standards and targets, including Quality standards
  • Staff governance standards and targets, including Health & Safety
  • Patient satisfaction and patient and public involvement
  • Risk management and benchmarking
  • Appropriate government and corporate performance targets.
• Undertake and manage regular effective reviews of all performance targets and, where necessary, take corrective action to address poor performance.

Information Management:

• Review the appropriateness and quality of data provision, ensuring improved timeliness and accuracy of information used to manage performance. e.g., Ensure PACS (picture archive and communication system) provision and reprovision across the Hospital, accurate and secure data entry to TRAK RIS.
• The standard requirement is to create documents and spreadsheets to support changes to service provision, e.g., often required to support business cases for new equipment or service provision.
• To support the Hospital’s values of quality, teamwork, care and compassion, dignity and respect, and openness, honesty, and responsibility by applying appropriate behaviors and attitudes.

Working Relationships:

• Develop and maintain working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring regular communication across all levels of the hospital.
• Share complex and sensitive information with staff, addressing challenges like service redesigns, staffing reductions, and policy changes.
• Use advanced negotiation and conflict management skills to address conflicting views and ensure smooth implementation of changes.
• Present strategies such as radiology plans, equipment procurement, and workforce management to Senior Management, staff, and external partners.
• Advise staff on handling patient concerns and ensure involvement of patients/relatives in addressing complaints and incidents.
• Collaborate with senior hospital staff including Directors, Clinical Management Teams, and Finance, as well as external entities such as government health departments, local authorities, and suppliers.

 

Qualifications:

• Medical degree and no less than 5 years post-specialization degree in Radiology.
• Advanced knowledge of radiology protocols and imaging technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, particularly in managing radiology departments or services.
• Proficiency in English and Arabic (written and spoken) is mandatory.

 

Preferred Skills:

• Exceptional leadership and coaching skills to develop and manage the Radiology Management Team and ensure the successful delivery of work programs.
• Strong expertise in radiology clinical practice, with the ability to provide expert advice and leadership on radiology development.
• Excellent financial planning and budgeting skills, with experience in managing radiology services and procurement processes.
• Advanced knowledge of Iraqi healthcare regulations.
• Advanced communication, negotiation, and conflict management skills, with the ability to handle complex, contentious information and deliver formal presentations to senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage performance against key targets, including financial, clinical governance, and staff standards.
• In-depth knowledge of data management systems, such as PACS and TRAK RIS, and proficiency in using data to support performance improvements and strategic decisions.

 

Location:

• Najaf, Iraq.
• Basra, Iraq.