| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Allied Health |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Radiology Manager |
| Direct reports | X-Ray Technician, CT Technician, MRI Technician |
| Experience | 8 to 12 years as a radiographer, including CT and MRI, with 2 years leading shifts |
Chief Radiographer job description template
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Job title: Chief Radiographer
Department: Allied Health
Reports to: Radiology Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
The Chief Radiographer leads the radiographers and imaging technicians on the floor. They draw up the duty roster for X-ray, CT, MRI and portable work, set scan protocols with the radiologists, check image quality, handle difficult scans themselves and act as the first point of contact for radiation safety, often as the named RSO. It is a hands-on post: the chief still scans on busy shifts while keeping a trained person on every modality.
Key responsibilities
- Draw up the weekly duty roster for radiographers across X-ray, CT, MRI, portable and OT imaging, including nights, Sundays and holidays.
- Set and revise scan protocols with the radiologists, including CT dose settings and MRI sequences for the common studies.
- Review rejected and repeated images weekly, trace the cause to technician or machine, and retrain where needed.
- Perform high-risk or complex scans personally, such as paediatric CT, contrast studies and portable X-rays in the ICU.
- Issue and collect TLD badges, keep dose records, and investigate any radiation worker with a high reading.
- Run daily equipment checks such as CT water phantom tests and MRI coil checks, and log faults for the biomedical team.
- Verify contrast consent, allergy screening and MRI safety screening forms before any scan starts.
- Train new radiographers and interns, and sign off their competency on each modality before they work alone.
- Agree emergency and inpatient scan priorities with the front desk and wards during peak hours.
- Keep equipment logbooks, AERB records and radiation survey reports ready for inspection.
Requirements
- BSc or MSc in Radiology and Imaging Technology, or Diploma in Radiography with long experience
- Completion of the AERB-approved RSO course is an advantage
- Current BLS certification
- 8 to 12 years as a radiographer, including CT and MRI, with 2 years leading shifts
KRAs and KPIs for a Chief Radiographer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Roster coverage | Every modality covered by a trained radiographer on every shift, with zero uncovered shifts |
| Image repeat rate | Repeated or rejected X-ray images below 3 percent of exposures each month |
| Dose management | CT doses within the department's reference levels for the top five protocols |
| Scan safety | Zero MRI safety incidents and contrast consent forms complete for every contrast study |
| Staff readiness | New radiographers signed off on assigned modalities within 60 days of joining |
| Equipment checks | Daily quality checks logged on every working day for CT, MRI and X-ray |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: CT scanner console, MRI console and coils, Digital X-ray and CR systems, Portable X-ray unit, Contrast injector, PACS, TLD badges and survey meter.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Radiology Manager, Head of Allied Health Services
Interview questions for a Chief Radiographer
- How do you cut dose on a paediatric head CT without losing diagnostic quality?
- A patient with an unknown implant arrives for MRI at 11 pm. What do you do?
- The X-ray repeat rate doubled last month. How would you find out why?
- What would you check in the CT room before an AERB inspection?
- How do you roster eight radiographers to cover CT, MRI and X-ray round the clock?
- Tell me about a time you corrected a senior colleague's unsafe practice.
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What does a chief radiographer do?
A chief radiographer leads the radiographers in an imaging department. They prepare duty rosters, set scan protocols with radiologists, review image quality and repeat rates, perform complex scans, manage TLD badges and radiation safety records, and train and sign off new staff on each modality.
What is the difference between a radiographer and a chief radiographer?
A radiographer performs scans on one or more modalities during a shift. The chief radiographer does that too, but also owns the roster, protocols, image quality reviews, radiation safety records and training for the whole team, and is the first escalation point when a scan goes wrong.
What qualification do you need to become a chief radiographer?
Most hospitals want a BSc or MSc in Radiology and Imaging Technology, or a radiography diploma with long service, plus 8 or more years of scanning experience across CT and MRI. An RSO certification from AERB is valued because the chief often handles radiation safety duties.