Sterile Processing Manager - full time, varied shifts

Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System; Lancaster (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health seeks a Manager of Sterile Instrument Processing to provide strategic and operational leadership across surgical and procedural services. You will build a culture of safety, reliability, and continuous improvement, using data‑driven decision making to optimize workflows and instrument utilization.

Primary responsibilities include leading leaders and teams, driving performance through KPIs, standard work, and Lean/Six Sigma approaches, and ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Operations, or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare or other complex operations.
• Demonstrated success leading teams, managing performance, and driving operational results.
• Experience with process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent).
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate a high-reliability culture grounded in safety, respect, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Lead, coach, and develop leaders and team members to achieve individual and departmental goals.
• Drive team member engagement, retention, and professional growth through mentorship and performance management.
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion consistent with Penn Medicine values.
• Lead change management efforts, ensuring clear communication and sustained adoption.
• Ensure consistent, timely, and reliable instrument availability to support procedural volume and patient care needs.
• Lead the development and monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with system and local goals.
• Implement standard work, visual management, and daily management systems to drive consistency and transparency.

Skills

Leadership

Process improvement

Analytical skills

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Operations, or related field

Master’s degree (MHA, MBA, or related field)

Job description

Description

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.

Location

Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, PA

Schedule

Primarily Monday through Friday, day shift, leading a 24/7 operations team. Availability for 2nd and 3rd shifts is required as needed.

Position Summary

The Manager of Sterile Instrument Processing is responsible for providing strategic, operational, and people-centered leadership to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient instrument and supply support for surgical and procedural services across Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. This role advances Penn Medicine's commitment to high reliability, patient safety, and exceptional patient experience by building a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration. The Manager leads through data‑driven decision‑making, standardization, and interdisciplinary partnership to optimize workflows, improve quality outcomes, and support seamless care delivery.

Essential Functions

• Cultivate a high-reliability culture grounded in safety, respect, accountability, and continuous learning
• Lead, coach, and develop leaders and team members to achieve individual and departmental goals
• Drive team member engagement, retention, and professional growth through mentorship and performance management
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion consistent with Penn Medicine values
• Lead change management efforts, ensuring clear communication and sustained adoption
• Ensure consistent, timely, and reliable instrument availability to support procedural volume and patient care needs
• Lead the development and monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with system and local goals
• Implement standard work, visual management, and daily management systems to drive consistency and transparency
• Align workflows and resource allocation with demand, improving throughput and reducing operational variation
• Advance Penn Medicine’s systemness strategy through alignment of processes, best practices, and performance expectations
• Lead and sustain Lean‑based performance improvement initiatives to optimize end‑to‑end processes
• Use data and analytics to identify opportunities, reduce defects, and improve flow
• Partner with perioperative services, supply chain, and clinical teams to improve instrument utilization and system efficiency
• Drive standardization to reduce variation and enhance safety and reliability
• Support implementation of new technologies and process innovations
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and Penn Medicine standards
• Advance a Just Culture environment that promotes safety reporting, transparency, and learning
• Monitor and improve quality outcomes, focusing on error prevention and defect reduction
• Lead departmental readiness for audits, surveys, and regulatory reviews
• Serve as a trusted operational partner with perioperative leaders, physicians, nursing, and support services
• Foster strong interdisciplinary relationships to support coordinated, patient‑centered care
• Communicate performance, risks, and improvement initiatives clearly and proactively
• Align department priorities with organizational and surgical services strategy
• Optimize asset utilization, including instruments, equipment, and supplies

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Operations, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare or other complex operations
• Demonstrated success leading teams, managing performance, and driving operational results
• Experience with process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent)
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MHA, MBA, or related field)
• Experience within perioperative services or procedural operations
• Certified Sterile Processing Manager (CSPM)
• Lean/Six Sigma certification or formal operational excellence training

Benefits

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.