At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage sterile services, ensuring safe reprocessing of medical devices.
- Company: Specialist Facilities Management supporting NHS services across a complex hospital estate.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, permanent contract, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on patient safety and infection prevention in healthcare.
- Qualifications: Significant senior experience in sterile services leadership and strong knowledge of decontamination governance.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on continuous improvement and safety.
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
Closing date: 3 April 2026, 12:00 noon
About the Organisation
We are a specialist Facilities Management and Property Services organisation supporting NHS services across a complex hospital estate. Decontamination and sterile services are a safety-critical function, underpinning infection prevention and the safe reuse of surgical instruments, endoscopes and other reusable medical devices.
Join Our Team
We are seeking an experienced Head of Decontamination and Sterile Services to lead a high-performing sterile services function and provide senior assurance on decontamination governance across the organisation. This is a strategic and operational leadership role, responsible for quality systems, compliance, workforce capability and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage Sterile Services / Decontamination operations, ensuring safe and effective reprocessing of medical devices for theatres, endoscopy and wider clinical services.
- Ensure compliance with key standards and expectations (including HTM 01-01), and maintain robust audit/validation, documentation and quality management systems.
- Provide expert leadership during service change, refurbishments, capacity planning and capital equipment upgrades.
- Work collaboratively with theatres, endoscopy, infection prevention, procurement and estates colleagues to maintain safe, responsive services across multiple sites.
- Lead workforce planning, training, competence frameworks and performance management; build a culture of continuous improvement and safety.
- Provide senior input into incident investigation, risk assessments and regulatory inspections, ensuring clear assurance reporting and action tracking.
Ideal Candidate
- Significant senior experience in sterile services/decontamination leadership within healthcare (or similarly regulated environment).
- Strong working knowledge of decontamination governance, quality systems, audit/validation and relevant standards (including HTM 01-01).
- Confident leader with excellent stakeholder engagement skills, able to influence across clinical and corporate teams.
Recruitment Timetable
Closing date: 3 April 2026, 12:00 noon
Interviews: To be confirmed
How to Apply
Please submit CV + supporting statement.
Head of Decontamination and Sterile Services employer: Seymour John Public Services (Midlands) Limited
Contact Detail:
Seymour John Public Services (Midlands) Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Decontamination and Sterile Services
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the healthcare sector, especially those involved in sterile services. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of HTM 01-01 and other relevant standards. We want you to showcase your expertise and confidence when discussing compliance and quality systems.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just wait for job alerts! Actively search for opportunities on our website and apply directly. The more proactive you are, the better your chances of landing that Head of Decontamination role.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your leadership skills in your conversations. Be ready to discuss how you've led teams through change and improved processes in sterile services. We love hearing about your success stories!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Decontamination and Sterile Services
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Decontamination and Sterile Services role. Highlight your relevant experience in sterile services and decontamination leadership, and don’t forget to mention any specific standards you’re familiar with, like HTM 01-01.
Craft a Compelling Supporting Statement: Your supporting statement is your chance to shine! Use it to explain how your skills and experiences align with the key responsibilities listed in the job description. Be specific about your achievements and how they relate to quality systems and compliance.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a confident leader, it’s important to demonstrate your ability to engage stakeholders and influence teams. Share examples of how you've led teams through change or improved processes in previous roles to show us you’re the right fit for this strategic position.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smooth application process. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly and allows you to keep track of your application status easily!
How to prepare for a job interview at Seymour John Public Services (Midlands) Limited
✨Know Your Standards
Familiarise yourself with key standards like HTM 01-01 before the interview. Being able to discuss these in detail will show your expertise and commitment to compliance, which is crucial for the role.
✨Showcase Leadership Experience
Prepare specific examples of your leadership in sterile services or decontamination. Highlight how you've managed teams, improved processes, or led successful projects to demonstrate your capability in this strategic role.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you’ve collaborated with various departments in the past. Be ready to share stories that illustrate your stakeholder engagement skills, as this role requires influencing across clinical and corporate teams.
✨Continuous Improvement Mindset
Be prepared to discuss how you've fostered a culture of continuous improvement in previous roles. Share examples of initiatives you've implemented that enhanced safety and efficiency in sterile services.