Head of Decontamination Services

Sfh Tr; Sutton-in-Ashfield; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust seeks a dynamic leader to become Head of Decontamination Services, driving excellence in Sterile Services, Endoscopy Decontamination and Mattress Decontamination.

You will shape strategy, oversee risk management and QA, and lead a 24/7 service delivering safe, efficient instrument processing and equipment validation.

Qualifications

• Sound keyboard skills and proficient MS Word/PowerPoint.
• Postgraduate level knowledge or Master’s level qualification.
• Commitment to ongoing CPD and professional development.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Sterile Services, Endoscopy Decontamination and Mattress Decontamination.
• Lead a 24/7 decontamination service, ensuring highest safety and quality standards.
• Set strategic direction, drive continuous improvement and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Oversee risk management, equipment validation, and budgetary governance.
• Inspire and develop teams, optimise resources and deliver value for money.

Skills

Keyboard skills

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Education

Postgraduate degree or equivalent

Master’s level knowledge or equivalent

Evidence of ongoing CPD

Job description

Thank you for your interest in this role, we would be delighted to welcome you to Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

Sherwood is nationally recognised as being an excellent place to work and deliver care. We are rightly proud of the 5,500 colleagues who work here and know that happy colleagues deliver better care.

Our teams work in a supportive, inclusive environment, which nurtures wellbeing and has opportunities for development and progression. We do not just care for our patients, we also care for you.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As such, we particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, or Disabled. We believe that a diverse team better represents the communities we serve and brings a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our work.

Job overview

Excellence Behind Every Procedure | Join Our Decontamination Team

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced, inspiring leader to become Head of Decontamination Services. This is an exciting opportunity to shape an essential service, drive excellence and make a real difference to patient care.

Providing strategic and operational leadership across Sterile Services, Endoscopy Decontamination and Mattress Decontamination, you will lead a critical 24/7 service, ensuring surgical instruments and medical equipment are processed safely, efficiently and to the highest standards.

Working with senior leaders, clinical teams and external stakeholders, you will set the strategic direction, champion continuous improvement and develop resilient solutions to meet evolving clinical and operational needs.

Using your specialist scientific and technical expertise, you will strengthen quality assurance and regulatory compliance, oversee risk management and equipment validation, and maintain the highest standards of safety and performance.

As a collaborative leader, you will inspire and develop teams, optimise resources, manage budgets and deliver improvements that balance quality, efficiency and value for money.

Lead the future of decontamination, champion excellence and drive innovation to deliver safer care for every patient.

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Working for our organisation

We are an award-winning NHS Foundation Trust working alongside health and social care colleagues across the county to provide acute and community healthcare services to more than 420,000 people across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

We put the patient at the heart of everything that we do and it is our aim to make sure that every patient is treated as we would want a member of our own family to be treated. At the same time, we expect our staff to be caring, kind and courteous to each other and to look out for each other. We believe that we are truly a clinically-led organisation.

We are proud that our Trust colleagues have voted us the best acute Trust to work for in the East Midlands for seven years running in the National NHS Staff Survey, while the Care Quality Commission has rated our Trust as ‘outstanding’ for care and our King’s Mill Hospital as the only ‘outstanding’ NHS-run hospital in the East Midlands.

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Home Office guidance has changed as of 9th April. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Knowledge Requirements

• Professional knowledge acquired training to degree level (5 years study)
• Full Chartered Member membership of IDSc (Institute of Decontamination Sciences)

Qualifications

• Postgraduate Degree or equivalent level of knowledge through academic courses to postgraduate level
• Professional specialist management and scientific knowledge to Master’s degree or equivalent level of knowledge
• Evidence of ongoing CPD

Further Training

• Have sound keyboard skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word
• Ability to use Microsoft PowerPoint

Experience

• At least 3 years’ experience at senior management level
• Previous scientific management experience
• Significant experience of relevant medical devices used within the decontamination services
• Significant knowledge of ISO standards and their implementation
• Significant experience in the use of a PC and operation of Windows-based software
• Significant understanding and use of a Decontamination Services tracking system
• Significant experience in the use and management of a Quality System
• Proven significant experience of efficient and effective budget management

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Home Office guidance has changed. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

We as a Trust support the use of AI and other tools to support your application. However, all personal statements and behavioural examples must be truthful and factually accurate. Your application should reflect your own personal/professional experiences and qualifications to ensure authenticity and credibility.

For the avoidance of doubt, plagiarism includes presenting the ideas or experiences of others or content generated by artificial intelligence as your own. We review all applications carefully to ensure that the information provided in your supporting statement aligns with your qualifications, work history and the duties undertaken within those roles. Your experience will also be explored further during the interview process.

If you would like this information in an alternative format or in a different language please contact us on 01623 622515 ext 3271.

Please note that we no longer accept handwritten/paper applications and that the email address given on your application will be used for all correspondence regarding this post.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications have been received. Priority for vacancies at the Trust will be given to existing employees of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust whose roles are currently at risk of redundancy due to organisational change. If a high number of applications are received, a longlisting exercise will be conducted prior to shortlisting.

Only applications received on or before the closing date will be considered for short listing. This is to ensure that the Trust meets its commitment to Equality of Opportunity.

In submitting an application, you authorise Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any current and previous NHS Service details and you agree to the Trust obtaining and transferring personal date held about you, including Occupational Health data (inoculations and screening tests). This data will be shared using the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and third party systems via an automated process and will only be used for the purposes of maintaining your employment record.

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check. The Trust will pay for the check initially and then the money will then be deducted from your first salary once you've commenced employment. The current price of a check is £26.40 for a standard check and £54.40 for an enhanced. If you are asked to complete a DBS check and have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed to your employer and/or on your DBS certificate, you should call or email the dedicated sensitive applications team before submitting your application. The team is experienced in dealing with sensitive cases and will advise you of the process and what you need to do.

Please note any genuine job offer letters will only be received if you have applied, interviewed, and received a verbal offer from the appointing manager for a vacancy within Sherwood Forest Hospitals. If you receive a job offer and you are not sure of its authenticity, please report it to the following email [e-mail]

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Craig Keeling Job title Deputy Director of Nursing - Surgery Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01623 622515 Additional information

Matthew Warrilow - DGM: [e-mail]