Director of Operations, Central Processing and High-Level Disinfection

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia • Philadelphia, PA

8d • $100,000 - $375,000

About The Position

The Director of Operations, Central Processing and High-Level Disinfection provides operational leadership for Central Processing and High-Level Disinfection Services (HLDS) across the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia enterprise. The role ensures safe, efficient, and compliant reprocessing of surgical instruments, medical devices, and equipment. Reporting to the Senior Director and partnering with CPD and HLDS management, the Director develops and executes system-wide strategies to advance operational excellence, standardization, quality, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction.

The Director leads central sterile processing operations, including workforce planning and development, budget and capital planning, productivity, quality assurance, and performance improvement. The role maintains enterprise policies and best practices for sterilization and high-level disinfection, aligned with organizational goals, innovation, and industry standards. It collaborates with clinical and non-clinical departments to support patient safety. Consistent physical site visits are required.

The position also supports strategic planning, regulatory readiness, staff education, and professional development across CPD and HLDS. It builds partnerships across the organization, including with Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, and clinical leaders, and models CHOP’s ICARE Values.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare, Supply Chain, Finance, Business, or a similar field is required.
• At least five years of clinical and/or Central Processing work experience in the area or portfolio of interest in a complex healthcare setting is required.
• At least five years of leadership experience in a complex healthcare setting is required.
• At least three years of program or project management experience is required.
• At least two years of knowledge of patient safety and quality improvement, including safety event analysis, continuous quality improvement methodologies, and data collection and analysis, is required.
• CRCST (Certified Registered Central Service Technician) certification through the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association is required upon hire.
• Required proficiency in central processing operations across a multi-campus healthcare enterprise.
• Required proficiency with surgical inventory management software and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills across levels of a large enterprise, including the ability to prepare and present presentations and financial analyses to senior leaders.
• Ability to motivate and facilitate teams to resolve challenging issues.
• Project management skills, knowledge, and experience, and ability to collaborate with employees at all levels.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical reasoning, attention to detail, and hands-on performance.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in complex operations across departmental and enterprise boundaries.
• Change management expertise.
• Ability to establish and maintain stakeholder trust and confidence.
• Ability to delegate, monitor, and direct work efforts and requirements.
• Ability to work under pressure with composure and resilience.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Healthcare, Supply Chain, Finance, Business, or a similar field.
• At least five years of pediatric healthcare experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB) certification from a recognized agency is preferred upon hire.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an operational management team for efficient Central Processing operations across the enterprise.
• Direct and coordinate staff in the sterilization and distribution functions of sterile processing across the CHOP enterprise.
• Partner with CPD and HLDS management to support clinical relationships, workforce planning, and staffing allocation.
• Maintain departmental policies, procedures, quality assurance, and regulatory standards, coordinating with Supply Chain and service department leaders.
• Establish and monitor departmental metrics, lead process improvement initiatives, and foster safety and continuous quality improvement.
• Collaborate on inventory management, capital equipment, service contracts, and long-term vendor relations.
• Evaluate current and emerging technologies to support innovation and competitiveness.
• Forecast, develop, and manage CPD/HLDS budgets for each site; report variances and response plans and partner with Finance.
• Partner with Supply Chain leadership on enterprise expansion and growth opportunities.
• Set departmental and staff goals based on employee engagement, quality improvement, and safety planning.
• Assist with developing strategic plans for Central Processing functions.
• Stay current on healthcare Supply Chain best practices and industry trends concerning equipment, instrumentation, recalls, and sterilization techniques.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on sterilization and HLDS regulatory requirements, using MIFUs to determine appropriate instrumentation and equipment protocols.
• Collaborate with clinical and Central Processing leadership to assess HLDS needs and develop education and action plans for enterprise-wide process improvement.
• Develop systems and compliance methodologies to support ongoing regulatory readiness and adherence to requirements from state and federal agencies and industry bodies, including the Joint Commission, DOH, CDC, and CMS.
• Partner with the HLDS Education and Quality Specialist to create standardized educational curricula for CPD/HLDS staff across settings and sites.
• Support the professional and personal goals of Central Processing and HLDS staff and the Director.
• Enable employee professional development and growth in support of defined objectives.
• Benchmark with healthcare and Central Processing industries as appropriate.
• Partner with departmental leaders to recruit, orient, develop, and retain a talented and varied CPD/HLDS workforce.
• Partner with Human Resources to ensure Hospital Policies/Procedures and the Collective Bargaining Agreement are interpreted and applied appropriately.
• Model CHOP’s ICARE Values and hold staff accountable to those values and the organization’s mission and vision.
• Make consistent physical site visits.

Benefits

• Eligible for an incentive program.
• Annual influenza vaccination is a condition of employment for employees who work in patient care buildings or have patient-facing responsibilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director