Position directory

Surgical Technology & Sterile Processing: positions we recruit

Healthcare Headhunters recruits healthcare professionals for employers. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.

This is what we do all day: recruit healthcare professionals.

Hiring surgical technology and sterile processing staff means separating operating room readiness from instrument reprocessing skill, then matching each opening to the work you actually need covered.

No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.

Tell us who you need

Step 1 of 2 · Your opening
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Profession and urgency (optional)
Who are you hiring?
How soon?

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What happens next

  1. We review your role, responsibilities and location.
  2. Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
  3. You meet a focused shortlist when qualified candidates fit the agreed search.
Fees.
No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
Exclusivity.
Set out in the signed client agreement.
Confidentiality.
We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
No hire.
No hire means no fee on standard searches.
Positions we recruit

Surgical Technology & Sterile Processing

11 positions

11 matching positions

Anesthesia Technician

Work
Anesthesia support technician checking machines, preparing airway tools and procedure equipment, and reporting failed equipment tests

Lead Anesthesia Technician

Work
Working anesthesia technician lead preparing rooms, checking equipment, assigning technicians, and handing off unresolved support tasks

Lead Surgical Technologist

Work
Working surgical technology lead preparing cases, scrubbing procedures, coordinating assignments, and coaching staff between cases

Senior Surgical Technologist

Work
Experienced surgical technologist scrubbing specialty procedures, preparing unfamiliar equipment, supporting orientation, and addressing sterile field concerns
Start with the work

What should you settle before you hire?

Healthcare Headhunters recruits for surgical technology and sterile processing positions, with permanent placement as our core service. These roles support the same surgical schedule, but they do different work. Before we search, we clarify whether you need someone at the sterile field, in decontamination, assembling trays, or coordinating instrument readiness across departments.

A surgical technologist prepares the sterile field, organizes supplies, passes instruments, and participates in counts under facility policy. Hiring judgment should focus on case experience, sterile technique, and communication when a procedure changes.

Sterile processing staff receive contaminated instruments, clean and inspect them, assemble sets, and carry out packaging and sterilization tasks. Their decisions affect whether a tray reaches the operating room complete and ready. Separate broad reprocessing experience from time spent mainly in one station. Neither background automatically proves competence across the department.

Ask for evidence

What should you check before an offer?

Case exposure: Ask surgical technology candidates, “Which procedures did you scrub regularly, and what did you prepare yourself?” Useful answers distinguish observed cases from hands-on assignments and explain instrument selection, setup, counts, and handoff duties. Sterile field judgment: Ask, “If you notice a possible break in sterile technique during a case, what do you do?”

  • Look for prompt communication, recognition of the concern, and action consistent with facility policy, rather than silent correction.
  • Cleaning knowledge: Ask sterile processing candidates, “How do you handle an instrument whose cleaning instructions differ from your usual process?” A useful answer describes consulting the manufacturer’s instructions and raising questions before moving it forward.
  • Tray assembly: Ask, “What do you check before closing a set, and how do you handle a missing or damaged instrument?” Listen for inspection, set references, documentation, and communication with the appropriate department contact.
  • Process records: Ask, “What information do you document during sterilization, and what would make you stop release?” Answers should describe actual monitoring and traceability practices from previous workplaces without guessing your facility’s release rules.
  • Credentials and schedule: Ask which credentials the candidate holds, when they expire, and which shifts or call arrangements they have worked. You complete your own credentialing and clinical assessment, including applicable license or certification checks.
Different backgrounds, different fit

Where does relevant experience come from?

Surgical technology searches can draw from hospital operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centers, and specialty surgical facilities. We compare procedure mix, room assignments, call experience, and orientation needs. If your opening covers several services, narrow specialty experience deserves a discussion rather than an automatic rejection.

Sterile processing searches can draw from hospital reprocessing departments, outpatient surgical facilities, and centralized instrument processing operations. Candidates may consider a move for a different shift, broader case exposure, or clearer training arrangements. We ask what they want to change and whether your opening offers it.

Avoid these

Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?

A common mistake is treating surgical technology and sterile processing experience as interchangeable. Verify where the person worked each day and which tasks they performed without supervision. Another is advertising a combined assignment without explaining boundaries. If one hire will move between reprocessing and the operating room, define training, task separation, supervision, and shift coverage.

Using a certificate as the whole assessment. Confirm its status, then examine recent work, equipment familiarity, and the orientation needed for your procedures and instrument sets.

Put it to work

What are the next steps?

Tell us which department owns the vacancy, the procedures or instruments involved, and the shift pattern. We discuss concrete examples of scrubbing, reprocessing, documentation, and department communication as relevant to the opening. Use your interview and practical assessment to test the duties that matter most.

Define the assignment

Identify required credentials separately from preferred certificates. For combined roles, explain how responsibilities change during a shift.

Review matched backgrounds

You receive candidates whose backgrounds can be compared against the assignment, with gaps identified for further interview.

Assess and select

Confirm credentials, orientation plans, reporting lines, and schedule expectations before deciding. We support the permanent hiring process through offer discussions.

How do we assess readiness for an unfamiliar service line?

Ask what related instruments and procedures the candidate knows, then examine the gaps. Set an orientation plan based on your assessment rather than treating general operating room experience as full readiness. Someone comfortable with one service line may need orientation before handling another surgeon’s instruments or setup preferences.

Can one opening cover both scrubbing and sterile processing?

It can, if the assignment is clearly defined and the candidate has relevant experience in both areas. Discuss task transitions, training, and supervision rather than assuming either background covers both.

How should we compare hospital and ambulatory surgical technology experience?

Compare actual procedures, setup responsibilities, and call duties. A facility label alone does not show whether someone has handled your case mix.

Should we require certification for every position in this family?

Check applicable law and your facility’s credential standards for the specific role. Keep mandatory credentials separate from preferences so the search does not exclude suitable candidates unnecessarily.

What matters when hiring for loaner instrument work?

Ask about receipt, inventory checks, processing instructions, and communication about missing items. Clarify how your facility coordinates loaner sets before assessing comparable experience.

How can Healthcare Headhunters help with this hire?

Send us the role, where the person will work and what needs to change with this hire. We will ask about the work, not just the title. Share any license or schedule limits that could rule someone out before we begin the search.

Tell us which surgical technology or sterile processing assignment you need to fill. We can help distinguish the work, screen relevant backgrounds, and support your permanent hiring decision.

Send us your open role

Step 1 of 2 · Your opening
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Profession and urgency (optional)
Who are you hiring?
How soon?

Looking for a job? Join our talent network.

What happens next

  1. We review your role, responsibilities and location.
  2. Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
  3. You meet a focused shortlist when qualified candidates fit the agreed search.
Fees.
No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
Exclusivity.
Set out in the signed client agreement.
Confidentiality.
We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
No hire.
No hire means no fee on standard searches.
Send Your RoleCall