Team Leader - Sterile Services

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

CUH NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge seeks an experienced Team Leader to supervise day-to-day decontamination services, leading a team of 15–20 staff to deliver safe, patient-focused care.

You will allocate workloads, monitor performance, and ensure compliance with decontamination procedures, quality systems, and national legislation. The role requires strong leadership, excellent communication, and good literacy, numeracy and IT skills, with knowledge of washer disinfectors and sterilisers.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a decontamination team in a healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

• Supervising staff within decontamination areas to ensure duties are performed to the required standard
• Allocating, monitoring, and prioritising workloads to meet service demands
• Supporting staff performance, attendance, and conduct, escalating issues appropriately
• Ensuring compliance with decontamination procedures, manufacturer's instructions, and quality systems
• Monitoring equipment performance, stock levels, and documentation, including tracking and traceability records
• Supporting training, induction, and ongoing development of staff
• Sound knowledge of decontamination processes and practices
• Experience / Knowledge on operating washer disinfectors and Sterilisers
• Experience / Knowledge on working within a quality management system (e.g. ISO standards)
• Strong organisational, communication, and leadership skills
• Good literacy, numeracy, and basic IT skills (experience with electronic tracking systems is desirable)

Job description

The Sterile Services Department at CUH is seeking an experienced Team Leader to support the day-to-day supervision of decontamination services. This role involves leading and supporting a team of approximately 15-20 staff, ensuring all decontamination activities are carried out in line with national legislation, local policies, and quality standards. You will play a key role in maintaining service delivery, supporting staff development, and ensuring a high-quality service for patients and clinical users.

• Supervising staff within decontamination areas to ensure duties are performed to the required standard
• Allocating, monitoring, and prioritising workloads to meet service demands
• Supporting staff performance, attendance, and conduct, escalating issues appropriately
• Ensuring compliance with decontamination procedures, manufacturer's instructions, and quality systems
• Monitoring equipment performance, stock levels, and documentation, including tracking and traceability records
• Supporting training, induction, and ongoing development of staff
• Sound knowledge of decontamination processes and practices
• Experience / Knowledge on operating washer disinfectors and Sterilisers
• Experience / Knowledge on working within a quality management system (e.g. ISO standards)
• Strong organisational, communication, and leadership skills
• Good literacy, numeracy, and basic IT skills (experience with electronic tracking systems is desirable)

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Sterile Services technician or supervisor looking to develop their leadership skills within a specialist clinical support service.

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.