Technician Assistant - Surgery & Sterile Processing

Animal Emergency & Referral Center Of Minnesota; Oakdale (MN); On-site; USD 24,176 - 29,549; Full time

Job summary

Animal Emergency & Referral Center Of Minnesota (AERC) in Oakdale, MN is seeking a Technician Assistant – Surgery & Sterile Processing to support our Surgery Service and the hospital's sterile processing program. This role combines hands-on veterinary patient care with specialized surgical support in Minnesota's busiest emergency and specialty hospital.

You'll assist veterinarians with anesthesia preparation, patient handling, and operating room readiness, while ensuring instruments are cleaned,

Qualifications

• Organized and detail-oriented
• Calm under pressure
• Passionate about patient care
• Curious and eager to learn
• A team player who enjoys helping others succeed
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced specialty hospital

Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians with patient restraint, anesthesia preparation, treatments, diagnostics, and surgical procedures.
• Prepare patients and operating rooms for scheduled and emergency surgeries.
• Monitor patient comfort and communicate concerns to the medical team.
• Assist with admissions, discharges, and recovery support.
• Clean, inspect, assemble, package, and sterilize surgical instruments and equipment.
• Build and maintain surgical packs for a variety of specialty procedures.
• Operate autoclaves, ultrasonic cleaners, and other sterilization equipment.
• Verify sterilization quality and maintain required documentation.
• Help ensure every surgeon has exactly what they need—when they need it.
• Stock supplies and monitor inventory.
• Clean and maintain equipment.
• Help organize treatment and surgical areas.
• Support pharmacy tasks within hospital policy.
• Work closely with multiple specialty departments to ensure surgical readiness.
• Help support sterile processing needs across the hospital.
• Assist other specialty departments when operational needs require.
• Participate in after‑hours support through an on‑call rotation or by assisting our Emergency & Critical Care team during weekends, holidays, or other high‑volume periods.

Skills

Organized and detail-oriented

Calm under pressure

Patient care

Curious and eager to learn

Team player

Fast-paced environment

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: Oakdale, MN 55128

Position Type: Full Time

Salary Range: $17.55 - $21.45 Hourly

Job Shift: Day

Technician Assistant – Surgery & Sterile Processing

Some people love the excitement of surgery. Others love organizing, preparing, and making sure everything is exactly where it needs to be. If you're the kind of person who gets satisfaction from creating order, supporting a team, and knowing your work directly impacts patient outcomes, this might be your perfect role.

At Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota (AERC), we're looking for a Technician Assistant – Surgery & Sterile Processing to support our Surgery Service while becoming an essential part of our hospital's sterile processing program.

This is a unique opportunity to combine hands‑on veterinary patient care with specialized surgical support in one of Minnesota's busiest emergency and specialty hospitals.

What You'll Do

Support Our Surgery Team

• Assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians with patient restraint, anesthesia preparation, treatments, diagnostics, and surgical procedures.
• Prepare patients and operating rooms for scheduled and emergency surgeries.
• Monitor patient comfort and communicate concerns to the medical team.
• Assist with admissions, discharges, and recovery support.

Be the Expert Behind the Sterile Instruments

• Clean, inspect, assemble, package, and sterilize surgical instruments and equipment.
• Build and maintain surgical packs for a variety of specialty procedures.
• Operate autoclaves, ultrasonic cleaners, and other sterilization equipment.
• Verify sterilization quality and maintain required documentation.
• Help ensure every surgeon has exactly what they need—when they need it.

Keep Surgery Running Smoothly

• Stock supplies and monitor inventory.
• Clean and maintain equipment.
• Help organize treatment and surgical areas.
• Support pharmacy tasks within hospital policy.
• Work closely with multiple specialty departments to ensure surgical readiness.

More Than Just Surgery

While your primary home will be our Surgery Service, you'll also:

• Help support sterile processing needs across the hospital.
• Assist other specialty departments when operational needs require.
• Participate in after‑hours support through an on‑call rotation or by assisting our Emergency & Critical Care team during weekends, holidays, or other high‑volume periods.

Qualifications

What We're Looking For

• Organized and detail‑oriented
• Calm under pressure
• Passionate about patient care
• Curious and eager to learn
• A team player who enjoys helping others succeed
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced specialty hospital

Preferred Qualifications

• Veterinary Technician Assistant experience
• Surgery or specialty hospital experience