Sr. Lab Operations Manager - Sterilization

Nelson Labs; Taylorsville (UT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Nelson Labs seeks a Senior Lab Operations Manager to lead the Sterilization team within laboratory operations, focusing on EO and steam sterilization validations for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

The role oversees ~16 staff, drives efficiency, and partners with Sales, Consulting, and Operations to grow the business while maintaining regulatory readiness and quality standards.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in laboratory operations or validation-focused environments.
• Experience leading regulated operations in GMP/GLP/ISO contexts.
• Hands-on laboratory experience and microbiology knowledge.
• Experience with EO and steam sterilization programs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations for the Sterilization department.
• Oversee EO and steam sterilization validation programs.
• Drive efficiency, turnaround time, and production performance.
• Provide technical leadership in validation processes and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure resources and staffing support business needs.
• Partner with Sales, Consulting, and Operations to enhance offerings.
• Lead and mentor direct reports; performance management.
• Foster collaborative, customer-focused culture.
• Guide training program development for technical competency.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Sterilization expertise

Operational excellence

Regulatory compliance

Quality systems

Change management

Team mentoring

GMP/GLP/ISO knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology/Microbiology

Job description

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health.Sotera Health Company is a leading global provider of mission-critical sterilization and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of millions of patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.Across our 64 facilities worldwide, we have over 3,000 employees who are dedicated to safety and quality. We are a trusted partner to more than 5,800 customers in over 50 countries, including more than 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.Position SummaryNelson Labs is seeking a highly strategic Senior Lab Operations Manager (Sr. LOM) to lead our Sterilization team within the laboratory operations team.This team focuses on sterilization validation services, specifically Ethylene Oxide (EO) and steam sterilization validations for medical device and pharmaceutical products. The Sr. LOM will oversee approximately 16 employees, including 3–4 direct reports, and will play a key role in driving operational growth, technical excellence, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement initiatives.This role requires a leader with strong validation and operational experience who can strategically grow the business, improve efficiencies, and strengthen technical capabilities within the department.Key ResponsibilitiesOperational & Technical LeadershipLead daily operations for the Sterilization departmentOversee sterilization validation activities including EO and steam sterilization programsDrive operational efficiency, turnaround time improvements, and production performanceProvide technical leadership in sterilization validation processes and regulatory complianceEnsure laboratory resources, staffing, and workflows are optimized to support business needsStrategic Growth & Business PartnershipSupport departmental growth initiatives and expansion opportunitiesPartner with Sales, Consulting, and Operations teams to enhance customer service offeringsContribute to operational strategy and long-term planning initiativesDrive operational excellence and process improvement effortsTeam Leadership & DevelopmentLead and mentor direct reports and laboratory personnelSupport employee development, succession planning, and performance managementFoster a collaborative, accountable, and customer-focused cultureGuide training program development to support technical competency and business continuityQuality & ComplianceEnsure compliance with GMP, GLP, ISO, and company quality standardsMaintain focus on regulatory readiness, procedural adherence, and data integrityPartner with Quality Assurance to address quality trends and corrective actionsCross-Functional CollaborationWork collaboratively across departments to support customer delivery and operational alignmentServe as a change advocate during organizational and operational initiativesQualificationsRequired ExperienceMinimum 5 years of experience in:Laboratory operationsManufacturing or validation-focused operationsLeadership within regulated industriesStrong microbiology knowledge requiredHands-on laboratory experience requiredPreferred BackgroundStrong candidates may come from:Sterilization facilitiesMedical device manufacturingValidation-focused operationsManufacturing leadership environmentsExperience with the following is preferred:Ethylene Oxide (EO) sterilizationSteam sterilizationSterility assurance programsEducationBachelor’s degree required, preferably in:BiologyMicrobiologyRelated scientific disciplineSotera Health goes to market through its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics, Nordion and Nelson Labs. Sterigenics is a leading global provider of outsourced terminal sterilization and irradiation services for the medical device, pharmaceutical, food safety and advanced applications markets. Nordion is the leading global provider of Co-60 and gamma irradiators, which are key components to the gamma sterilization process. Nelson Labs is a global leader in outsourced microbiological and analytical chemistry testing and advisory services for the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.