At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead decontamination and sterile services across multiple NHS sites, ensuring patient safety and compliance.
- Company: Join a specialist facilities management organisation supporting NHS services in a dynamic healthcare environment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, permanent contract, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Work in a safety-critical environment with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on patient safety and clinical care in a senior leadership role.
- Qualifications: Significant leadership experience in decontamination or sterile services, with strong governance knowledge.
The predicted salary is between 67993 - 78542 £ per year.
Salary: £67,993 - £78,542 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Location: Multi-site NHS acute hospital environment (cross-site working)
Closing date: 5th June 2026 at 12 noon
About the Organisation
We are a specialist facilities management and property services organisation supporting NHS services across a complex and dynamic acute healthcare estate. Our services play a vital role in ensuring safe, compliant and high-quality environments that support frontline clinical care. Decontamination and sterile services are critical to patient safety, underpinning infection prevention and the safe reuse of surgical instruments and medical devices across multiple clinical pathways.
Join Our Team
We are seeking an experienced Head of Decontamination and Sterile Services to provide strategic and operational leadership for a high-performing sterile services function across a multi-site healthcare environment. This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for quality systems, regulatory compliance, service performance, workforce leadership and financial management. You will act as the organisational lead for decontamination, providing specialist advice to senior stakeholders and ensuring robust governance, safety and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee the delivery of Decontamination and Sterile Services, ensuring safe, efficient and compliant operations that support patient safety and clinical priorities.
- Provide expert leadership and technical advice on all aspects of decontamination and sterile services, ensuring alignment with national standards and regulatory requirements.
- Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, including relevant Health Technical Memoranda and medical device regulations.
- Lead the development, implementation and review of policies, procedures and quality management systems across sterile services.
- Oversee audit programmes, validation processes and assurance frameworks, ensuring robust documentation and continuous improvement.
- Monitor service performance against agreed standards and KPIs, producing assurance reports for senior leadership and governance forums.
- Ensure decontamination requirements are embedded within procurement, contract management and capital investment planning.
- Contribute to business cases, service development and infrastructure planning for sterile services operations.
- Provide expert advice to senior clinical and operational stakeholders on decontamination, infection prevention and compliance matters.
- Lead workforce planning, training, succession planning and performance management to ensure a resilient and capable service.
- Represent the organisation with regulators, auditors and external stakeholders, including during inspections and high-risk assurance activity.
Ideal Candidate
- Significant senior leadership experience within decontamination, sterile services or a comparable regulated technical environment.
- Strong knowledge of decontamination governance, quality systems, audit and validation requirements.
- Proven ability to lead complex, multi-site services in a safety-critical healthcare environment.
- Experience of managing compliance, risk and assurance within corporate governance frameworks.
- Strong financial and commercial awareness, including budget management and service planning.
- Ability to provide authoritative advice to senior leaders, clinicians and governance forums.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Educated to Master's degree level (or equivalent experience) in a relevant technical, scientific or engineering discipline, with evidence of senior leadership capability.
Chief, Decontamination & Sterile Services employer: Seymour John Ltd
As a leading facilities management and property services organisation within the NHS, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture that prioritises patient safety and quality care. Our commitment to employee development is evident through comprehensive training programmes and leadership opportunities, ensuring that our team members can thrive in their careers while making a meaningful impact in the healthcare sector. Working across multiple sites offers unique challenges and experiences, allowing you to contribute to vital services that uphold the highest standards of compliance and safety in a dynamic healthcare environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief, Decontamination & Sterile Services
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the healthcare sector, especially those involved in decontamination and sterile services. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of national standards and regulatory requirements. We want you to showcase your expertise in decontamination governance and quality systems, so practice articulating your experience clearly and confidently.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to tailor your approach! When applying through our website, highlight your leadership experience and how it aligns with the role's responsibilities. Show us how you can lead a high-performing sterile services function across multiple sites.
✨Tip Number 4
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email reiterating your interest in the role and your excitement about contributing to patient safety can leave a lasting impression. It shows you're genuinely invested in the position.
We think you need these skills to ace Chief, Decontamination & Sterile Services
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Chief, Decontamination & Sterile Services role. Highlight your relevant experience in decontamination and sterile services, and don’t forget to showcase your leadership skills and compliance knowledge.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re the perfect fit for this role. Mention specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead complex, multi-site services and your understanding of regulatory requirements.
Showcase Your Leadership Experience:Since this is a senior leadership role, make sure to emphasise your previous leadership experiences. Talk about how you've successfully managed teams, improved service performance, and ensured compliance in past roles.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves, so don’t miss out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Seymour John Ltd
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest standards and regulations related to decontamination and sterile services. Familiarise yourself with Health Technical Memoranda and any relevant medical device regulations, as these will likely come up during your interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading multi-site teams and managing compliance within a healthcare environment. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully implemented quality management systems and driven continuous improvement in previous roles.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you can demonstrate your communication skills and stakeholder engagement abilities. Prepare to share instances where you've provided expert advice to senior leaders or collaborated with clinical teams to enhance patient safety and service performance.
✨Financial Acumen is Key
Since this role involves budget management and service planning, be prepared to discuss your financial awareness. Bring examples of how you've managed budgets effectively and contributed to business cases or service development in your past positions.
