Manager, Sterile Processing

Kaiser Permanente

San Marcos (CA)

On-site

USD 97,000 - 125,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Job summary

Kaiser Permanente in California's San Marcos Hospital is seeking a Senior Sterile Processing Manager to oversee collection, decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and disinfection of instruments and equipment. You will manage inventory, develop policies, and lead audits to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

The role emphasizes staff training, waste reduction, and coordination with other departments to ensure instrument availability and safety for surgical cases.

Qualifications

Minimum three (3) years in a leadership role with or without direct reports.
Minimum four (4) years in sterile processing and/or processing reusable medical/surgical equipment/instruments.
Bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration, Public Health, Health Sciences, Business, or related field OR seven (7) years in sterile processing, health care operations, or related field.

Responsibilities

Provide development opportunities; foster cross-functional collaboration and coaching to drive performance.
Translate business plans into tactical action items; drive improvements and ensure policy compliance.
Develop sterile processing knowledge through staff trainings and new trainings to enhance competencies.
Manage equipment inventory and control purchasing to maintain supplies and reduce waste.
Lead audits and implement corrective actions to meet performance standards and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Sterile processing

Training & development

Audits

Policy development

Cost management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration / related field

Tools

Sterile processing equipment

Job description

Job Summary Delegates work and monitors operations of the collection, decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and disinfection of instruments and equipment. Ensures preparation of surgical trays and case carts. Develops and implements sterile processing policies and procedures and leads audits of sterile processing performance. Manages inventory for the department or site, overseeing record keeping of instruments and equipment. Identifies opportunities to prevent waste and reduce costs. Identifies training needs and leads staff trainings, developing and implementing new trainings to develop team competencies. Serves as a resource for the department or site on sterile processing activities. Partners with leaders of other departments and units to ensure efficient, safe, and effective instrument and equipment availability. Oversees activities across the department or site to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and requirements. Contributes to regular audits for compliance with relevant regulations and policies, developing solutions and ensuring the implementation of corrective action plans for compliance concerns.

Provides developmental opportunities for others; builds collaborative, cross-functional relationships. Solicits and acts on performance feedback; works closely with employees to set goals and provide open feedback and coaching to drive performance improvement. Pursues professional growth; develops and provides training and development to talent for growth opportunities; supports execution of performance management guidelines and expectations. Leads, adapts, implements, and stays up to date with organizational change, challenges, feedback, best practices, processes, and industry trends. Fosters open dialogue amongst team members, engages, motivates, and promotes collaboration within and across teams. Delegates tasks and decisions as appropriate; provides appropriate support, guidance, and scope; encourages development and consideration of options in decision making.
Manages designated work unit or team by translating business plans into tactical action items; oversees the completion of work assignments and identifies opportunities for improvement; ensures all policies and procedures are followed. Aligns team efforts; builds accountability for and measuring progress in achieving results; determines and ensures processes and methodologies are implemented; resolves escalated issues as appropriate; sets standards and measures progress. Fosters the development of work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; obtains and distributes resources. Removes obstacles that impact performance; identifies and addresses improvement opportunities; guides performance and develops contingency plans accordingly; influences teams to execute in alignment with operational objectives.
Develops teams sterile processing knowledge by: identifying training needs and leading staff trainings on sterile processing techniques and procedures within the department, ensuring staff receive appropriate training; developing and implementing new trainings to further develop team competencies; and serving as a resource for the department or site for sterile processing activities.
Manages equipment inventory by: managing inventory levels to ensure adequate supplies for the department or site, overseeing the maintenance and record keeping of instruments and equipment; identifying opportunities to prevent wasted supplies/resources and reduce costs within the department or a site; and working with leaders to establish and review department budgets, purchasing and/or approving purchases of additional supplies as needed to maintain inventory.
Manages the sterilization and processing of equipment by: delegating tasks across team members and monitoring operations across the department or site to safely and efficiently collect, decontaminate, assemble, sterilize, and disinfect all instruments and equipment; ensuring surgical trays and case carts are prepared with appropriate instruments and equipment and recommending opportunities for optimization/operational efficiency; developing and implementing sterile processing policies and procedures to meet organizational needs; and leading audits to identify gaps between sterile processing performance standards and actual performance, analyzing complex audit results and designing corrective action plans to improve processes.
Ensures regulatory compliance by: overseeing work activities across the department or a site to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and requirements; contributing to regular audits for compliance with relevant regulations and policies, analyzing results of audits to assess compliance; developing solutions and overseeing the resolution of identified problems of non‑compliance, ensuring the implementation of corrective action plans; and guiding teams to maintain required regulatory records and reports.

Job Summary

Delegates work and monitors operations of the collection, decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and disinfection of instruments and equipment. Ensures preparation of surgical trays and case carts. Develops and implements sterile processing policies and procedures and leads audits of sterile processing performance. Manages inventory for the department or site, overseeing record keeping of instruments and equipment. Identifies opportunities to prevent waste and reduce costs. Identifies training needs and leads staff trainings, developing and implementing new trainings to develop team competencies. Serves as a resource for the department or site on sterile processing activities. Partners with leaders of other departments and units to ensure efficient, safe, and effective instrument and equipment availability. Oversees activities across the department or site to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and requirements. Contributes to regular audits for compliance with relevant regulations and policies, developing solutions and ensuring the implementation of corrective action plans for compliance concerns.

Essential Responsibilities

Provides developmental opportunities for others; builds collaborative, cross-functional relationships. Solicits and acts on performance feedback; works closely with employees to set goals and provide open feedback and coaching to drive performance improvement. Pursues professional growth; develops and provides training and development to talent for growth opportunities; supports execution of performance management guidelines and expectations. Leads, adapts, implements, and stays up to date with organizational change, challenges, feedback, best practices, processes, and industry trends. Fosters open dialogue amongst team members, engages, motivates, and promotes collaboration within and across teams. Delegates tasks and decisions as appropriate; provides appropriate support, guidance, and scope; encourages development and consideration of options in decision making.
Manages designated work unit or team by translating business plans into tactical action items; oversees the completion of work assignments and identifies opportunities for improvement; ensures all policies and procedures are followed. Aligns team efforts; builds accountability for and measuring progress in achieving results; determines and ensures processes and methodologies are implemented; resolves escalated issues as appropriate; sets standards and measures progress. Fosters the development of work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; obtains and distributes resources. Removes obstacles that impact performance; identifies and addresses improvement opportunities; guides performance and develops contingency plans accordingly; influences teams to execute in alignment with operational objectives.
Develops teams sterile processing knowledge by: identifying training needs and leading staff trainings on sterile processing techniques and procedures within the department, ensuring staff receive appropriate training; developing and implementing new trainings to further develop team competencies; and serving as a resource for the department or site for sterile processing activities.
Manages equipment inventory by: managing inventory levels to ensure adequate supplies for the department or site, overseeing the maintenance and record keeping of instruments and equipment; identifying opportunities to prevent wasted supplies/resources and reduce costs within the department or a site; and working with leaders to establish and review department budgets, purchasing and/or approving purchases of additional supplies as needed to maintain inventory.
Manages the sterilization and processing of equipment by: delegating tasks across team members and monitoring operations across the department or site to safely and efficiently collect, decontaminate, assemble, sterilize, and disinfect all instruments and equipment; ensuring surgical trays and case carts are prepared with appropriate instruments and equipment and recommending opportunities for optimization/operational efficiency; developing and implementing sterile processing policies and procedures to meet organizational needs; and leading audits to identify gaps between sterile processing performance standards and actual performance, analyzing complex audit results and designing corrective action plans to improve processes.
Ensures regulatory compliance by: overseeing work activities across the department or a site to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and requirements; contributing to regular audits for compliance with relevant regulations and policies, analyzing results of audits to assess compliance; developing solutions and overseeing the resolution of identified problems of non‑compliance, ensuring the implementation of corrective action plans; and guiding teams to maintain required regulatory records and reports.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (Core)

Ambiguity/Uncertainty Management
Attention to Detail
Business Knowledge
Communication
Constructive Feedback
Critical Thinking
Cross-Group Collaboration
Decision Making
Dependability
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Support
Drives Results
Facilitation Skills
Health Care Industry
Influencing Others
Integrity
Leadership
Learning Agility
Organizational Savvy
Problem Solving
Short- and Long-term Learning & Recall
Strategic Thinking
Team Building
Teamwork
Topic-Specific Communication

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (Functional)

Audits
Bloodborne Pathogen Knowledge
Cleaning Policies and Procedures
Compliance Management
Consulting
Cost Optimization
Delegation
Facilities Management/Operations
Hazardous Materials and Chemicals
Infection Control
Instrumentation
Internal Audit Processes
Inventory Planning
Maintain Files and Records
Medical Equipment
Medical Sanitation and Infection Control
Medical Waste Management
Mentoring and Coaching
Operational Excellence
Preventative Maintenance
Quality Assurance Process
Resource Management
Safety Management
Safety and Environmental Health Knowledge
Sterile Processing
Talent Management
Vendor Management

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum three (3) years of experience in a leadership role with or without direct reports.
Minimum four (4) years of experience in sterile processing and/or processing reusable medical/surgical equipment/instruments.
Bachelors degree in Health Care Administration, Public Health, Health Sciences, Business, or related field AND minimum four (4) years of experience in sterile processing, health care operations, health care administration, materials management, supply distribution, inventory control, or directly related field OR Minimum seven (7) years of experience in sterile processing, health care operations, health care administration, materials management, supply distribution, inventory control, or a directly related field.
Sterile Processing Distribution Technician Certificate required at hire OR Registered Central Service Technician Certificate required at hire

Preferred Qualifications

Certified Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (CFER) OR Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER).
Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) OR Management in Sterile Processing (CSPM).

Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.

Job Duties

For jobs where work will be performed in unincorporated LA County, the employer provides the following statement in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

Consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanente's Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non‑compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation, and licensure requirements (where applicable), and Kaiser Permanente's policies and procedures.
Models and reinforces ethical behavior in self and others in accordance with the Principles of Responsibility, adheres to organizational policies and guidelines; supports compliance initiatives; maintains confidences; admits mistakes; conducts business with honesty, shows consistency in words and actions; follows through on commitments.
Job duties with at least occasional or possible access to: (1) patients, the general public, or other employees; (2) confidential protected health information and other confidential KP information (including employee, proprietary, financial or trade secret information); (3) KP property and assets, for example, electronic assets, medical instruments, or devices; (4) controlled substances regulated by federal law or potentially subject to diversion.

Primary Location

California,San Marcos,San Marcos Hospital

Scheduled Weekly Hours

Shift

Day

Workdays

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Working Hours Start

07:00 AM

Working Hours End

04:00 PM

Job Schedule