R&D Medical Physicist (On-site, Palo Alto, CA)

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Varian Medical Systems, a Siemens Healthineers company is hiring an R&D Medical Physicist to strengthen our Engineering Physics team, developing next generation radiation therapy linear accelerators. This role focuses on dosimetry physics, radiation physics, and medical physics, ensuring accurate, defensible, and compliant beam performance through rigorous measurement, analysis, and verification.

**This role is designed to be onsite in Palo Alto, California**

What You will do:

• Own and execute dosimetry and radiation‑physics analyses supporting beam performance, safety, and compliance.

• Translate clinical medical‑physics principles into physics‑based requirements, acceptance criteria, and verification methods.

• Design and perform high‑accuracy radiation measurements (ion chambers, solid‑state detectors, films, arrays), with strong uncertainty discipline.

• Apply radiation transport modeling (analytical and/or Monte Carlo) to understand dose, collimation, scatter, leakage, and shielding.

• Produce clear, traceable, first‑time‑right physics conclusions suitable for QMS, IEC verification, and regulatory review.

• Collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, and regulatory partners to close physics risks early.

What You will have:

• PhD in Physics, Medical Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or closely related field (required).

• 2 + years of experience in radiation-therapy system R&D, beam dosimetry, accelerator physics, or related fields.

• Strong foundation in dosimetry physics, radiation physics, and medical physics.

• Demonstrated ability to perform high‑accuracy measurements, analyze data quantitatively, and assess uncertainties.

• Demonstrated experience performing Monte Carlo radiation‑transport calculations for hardware development, such as collimation, shielding, or leakage analysis (e.g., using Geant4, or equivalent).

• Technical rigor, critical thinking, and sound physics judgment, especially in safety‑ and compliance‑critical work.

• Clear written and verbal communication of complex physics concepts.

What will set You apart:

• Applied radiation‑transport expertise in shielding, collimation, and beam modeling (x‑ray, electron, and secondary radiation fields), with clear connections between simulation and measurement.

• Clinical medical‑physics intuition, such as LINAC commissioning, QA, or end‑to‑end dosimetric validation, and understanding of patient‑dose implications.

• Disciplined use of Monte Carlo and analytical methods, validating models against data rather than treating simulation as a black box.

• Strong quantitative analysis skills using Python, MATLAB, Excel, or similar tools, with emphasis on uncertainty evaluation and defensible conclusions.

• System‑level beam understanding, including familiarity with beam generation, monitoring/controlling, treatment‑planning systems, and source/beam modeling assumptions.

• Evidence of technical leadership or innovation, such as publications, patents, conference contributions, or impactful internal technical work demonstrating rigor and ownership.

Why Join Us

• As an R&D Medical Physicist, you will drive the physics innovations that advance beam precision, safety, and efficiency in modern radiation therapy.

• You’ll join a collaborative team of physicists and engineers who combine conceptual research, hands-on experimentation, and cross-functional problem-solving to transform scientific insight into technologies that elevate patient care worldwide.

• Beyond the work, you’ll enjoy the unique lifestyle of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area—a region that pairs cutting-edge innovations with year-round sunshine, coastal escapes, redwood forests, vibrant parks, outdoor adventures, world-class culture, and diverse cuisine.

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Who we are: We are a team of more than 72,000 highly dedicated Healthineers in more than 70 countries. As a leader in medical technology, we constantly push the boundaries to create better outcomes and experiences for patients, no matter where they live or what health issues they are facing. Our portfolio is crucial for clinical decision-making and treatment pathways.

How we work: When you join Siemens Healthineers, you become one in a global team of scientists, clinicians, developers, researchers, professionals, and skilled specialists, who believe in each individual’s potential to contribute with diverse ideas. We are from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, political and/or sexual orientations, and work together, to fight the world’s most threatening diseases and enable access to care, united by one purpose: to pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.

To find out more about Siemens Healthineers businesses, please visit our company page here.

The base pay range for this position is:

$155,900 - $214,357

Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

If this is a commission eligible position the commission eligibility will be in accordance with the terms of the Company's plan. Commissions are based on individual performance and/or company performance.

The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan. life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, paid parking/public transportation, paid time off, paid sick and safe time.

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