Sterile Processing Lead — Elevate OR Readiness

Duke University; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke Raleigh Hospital, a campus of Duke University Health System, seeks a Sterile Processing Supervisor to lead the SPD team, ensuring instrument readiness and adherence to quality, safety, and regulatory standards.

You will collaborate with OR staff to optimize decontamination and sterilization processes, drive improvements in inventory and workflow, and mentor staff to support professional growth and department goals.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree preferred; equivalent leadership experience considered.
• CRCST or equivalent certification required or in progress.

Responsibilities

• Supervises sterile processing staff during assigned shifts and ensures workflow efficiency.
• Ensures compliance with infection control policies and recognized standards (AAMI, AORN, Joint Commission).
• Acts as liaison between the OR and SPD to ensure instruments are ready on time.
• Maintains sterilization quality and equipment decontamination standards.
• Guides performance improvement, staff orientation, and ongoing development.
• Oversees staff selection, coaching, and annual performance evaluations.

Skills

Sterile Processing Leadership

Infection Control

Regulatory Compliance

Staff Training & Development

Education

CRCST certification

Associate's degree preferred

Tools

SPM

Epic

Dove Tree

Job description

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At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke Raleigh Hospital, A Campus of Duke University Hospital

Pursue your passion for caring with the Duke Raleigh Campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. With 204-beds, it is the third largest of the four Duke Health hospitals and offers a comprehensive array of services, including cancer, cardiovascular, neuroscience, advanced gastrointestinal, and wound healing care.

Work Schedule

• Full time; 11am - 7:30pm

General Description of the Job Class

• Directly supervises sterile processing personnel during specified shifts, facilitating staff and departmental efficiencies while monitoring the daily operations of the department to ensure that appropriate quality and productivity levels are achieved.
• Ensures compliance with infection control policies and AAMI, AORN, and Joint Commission standards.
• Acts as a liaison between the OR and SPD, facilitating all instrumentation being ready on time, supporting all customers of the department.
• Assures compliance with infection control and sterilization standards, ensuring that sterilization practices and all equipment used for decontamination and sterilization meet quality standards.
• Assists staff with performance improvement.
• Supervisory responsibilities include staff selection, orientation/onboarding, performance evaluation, counseling, and staff development.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

• Schedules and supervises the work of assigned staff to ensure smooth workflow in the department. Schedules staff in accordance with department needs. Acts as a knowledge resource to staff in matters of department processes, technical skills, equipment, supplies and/or regulatory requirements.
• Selects, trains and manages the performance of staff. Provides daily direction to staff. Sets goals for individuals and for the team. Acts as a mentor and coach and provides development and growth opportunities for staff.
• Coordinate and maintain departmental workflow in decontamination, the inspection of instruments/trays, cleaning, assembling and packaging of surgical instruments, medical/surgical materials and equipment.
• Proficiency in utilization of instrumentation bar code tracking systems (SPM, Epic and Dove Tree).
• Monitors inventory of supplies, equipment. Coordinate procurement and stocking activities. Analyze usage patterns of supplies and recommend optimal par levels. Assists in developing goals, targets and action plans.
• Facilitates timely ordering of instrumentation and supplies. Identifies opportunities for cost reduction and expense control. Provides management with information for forecasting future instrumentation/equipment needs. Track and document lost or damaged equipment and supplies.
• Identifies opportunities to improve work processes and enable achievement of goals in quality, productivity and customer satisfaction. Provides a forum for staff involvement in problem identification and resolutions. Develops and implements solutions to address opportunities to improve quality, safety, efficiency and productivity.
• Provides for ongoing communications with staff and ancillary departments. Participates in hospital teams, as assigned, in order to share information, problem solve, and evaluate the impact of services to receiving departments.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education

• Associate's degree in a related field preferred.
• Two years of sterile processing leadership experience may be substituted for the Associate's degree. This experience is separate from the requirements outlined in the Experience section.

Experience

• Minimum of three years of experience as a Sterile Processing Technician to include either one year of previous leadership experience in a team lead/supervisory or peer leadership capacity.
• In addition to extensive SPD knowledge, other skillsets preferred are as follows; strong customer service, team building, multitasking, attention to detail, organization, and with demonstrated communication skills (diplomacy and tact).

Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification

• Current certification as a Sterile Processing Technician through an accredited organization (CRCST - Certified Registered Central Service Tech, HSPA, or Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician CBSPD).

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.