University Hospital Southampton NHS FT
Lead Computer Scientist – Quality and Product Management
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Job Overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
Main Duties of the Job
About The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join our team! We are seeking a Lead Computer Scientist to lead on digital products development and support within our Clinical Scientific Computing (CSC) service. In this role, you will focus on user-centred design, clinical validation, and Post-Market Surveillance for our in-house software as a medical device (SaMD) products, all within the framework of an ISO 13485-certified Quality Management System (QMS). The role will also lead and support our SaMD QMS.
This position is ideal for an experienced clinical scientist who thrives on working directly with clinicians and healthcare staff to define what our software should do, and who wants to take ownership of how our products are validated, supported, and continuously improved once in clinical use.
About The Team
We are a multidisciplinary, close-knit team where clinical scientists, computer scientists, and software engineers work side by side. Together, we design, build, and maintain bespoke clinical and healthcare software, collaborating closely with healthcare scientists and clinicians across the Trust. We combine the rigour of a regulated, ISO 13485-certified QMS with the pace and creativity of modern software development—giving you the chance to work on genuinely novel in-house systems, rather than off-the-shelf configuration.
Our team values autonomy, technical depth, and continuous learning. We have won several grants and innovation competitions for the software products we have designed and delivered. As the team grows, this role offers real scope to shape both our products and the engineering processes behind them. Furthermore, we maintain strong links with the University of Southampton and proudly run the STP training programme in Clinical Scientific Computing, alongside bespoke work experiences, internships, and fellowships.
This role reports directly to the Head of Clinical Scientific Computing, and should have line management responsibilities.
Working for Our Organisation
As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.
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We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.
Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
What You'll Be Doing:
- Leading on user-centred design (UCD) for CSC software products, working directly with clinical stakeholders to define product requirements, gather user stories, and understand user needs
- Liaising with users' clinical teams to support the validation of CSC software products, including supporting acceptance and commissioning activities where applicable
- Owning Post-Market Surveillance activities for SaMD products in line with ISO 13485 Clause 8, including conducting user surveys, gathering feedback, and managing field notes and other client interactions
- Supporting functional, integration, and system testing for our bespoke software products to ensure clinical safety and technical reliability
- Taking a leading role in maintaining and improving CSC's ISO 13485-certified QMS, ensuring it keeps pace with the current regulatory landscape
- Supporting R&D and academic activities through collaboration, project management, scientific support and students supervision
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What We're Looking For
- Experience as a registered clinical scientist working in an active clinical environment alongside clinicians (such as doctors, radiographers, and nurses), healthcare scientists, and physicists
- Good knowledge of products lifecycle and project management
- Proven experience participating in the acceptance, commissioning, and clinical implementation of medical devices
- Formal training and experience in user-centric design and in software testing and validation
- Direct involvement in the clinical validation of healthcare software products, including testing on clinical cases, gathering user feedback, and managing surveys
- A collaborative, stakeholder-facing working style, comfortable leading engagement with clinical teams and driving quality and regulatory processes within a multidisciplinary team
- Experience with funded research grants would be an advantage
A Detailed Job Description And Person Specification Is Attached
Person Specification
Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience
Essential Criteria
- Honours degree in computer science, physics, engineering or appropriate subject
- Formal specialist training and accreditation in software development life cycle and Quality Systems
- Higher degree (e.g. MSc) in a Physical or Computing Science
- Experience in working and maintaining multiple operating systems, such as Windows and/or Linux
- Direct experience and knowledge of computing hardware installation, maintenance and troubleshooting
- Experience in clinical IT systems’ acceptance, commissioning and management
- Line management, teaching, supervision and /or mentoring experience required
Desirable Criteria
- PhD or equivalent level of knowledge and experience to be able to act as an expert in clinical scientific computing
- Experience in designing and conducting internal clinical and technical audits
- IT infrastructure and server management within a regulated industry (e.g. healthcare, medical technology)
- Experience of programming in a variety of different programming languages
- Experience in setting up and managing an IT Help Desk and a successful relation with IT services’ clients
- Experience in the management of server critical applications such as database servers, security and backup systems
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