Sr. Lab Operations Manager - Sterilization
The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company's unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.
Sotera Health Company is a leading global provider of mission-critical sterilization and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of millions of patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.
Across our 64 facilities worldwide, we have over 3,000 employees who are dedicated to safety and quality. We are a trusted partner to more than 5,800 customers in over 50 countries, including more than 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.
Position Summary
Nelson Labs is seeking a highly strategic Senior Lab Operations Manager (Sr. LOM) to lead our Sterilization team within the laboratory operations team.
This team focuses on sterilization validation services, specifically Ethylene Oxide (EO) and steam sterilization validations for medical device and pharmaceutical products. The Sr. LOM will oversee approximately 16 employees, including 3–4 direct reports, and will play a key role in driving operational growth, technical excellence, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement initiatives.
This role requires a leader with strong validation and operational experience who can strategically grow the business, improve efficiencies, and strengthen technical capabilities within the department.
Key Responsibilities
Operational & Technical Leadership
Lead daily operations for the Sterilization department
Oversee sterilization validation activities including EO and steam sterilization programs
Drive operational efficiency, turnaround time improvements, and production performance
Provide technical leadership in sterilization validation processes and regulatory compliance
Ensure laboratory resources, staffing, and workflows are optimized to support business needs
Strategic Growth & Business Partnership
Support departmental growth initiatives and expansion opportunities
Partner with Sales, Consulting, and Operations teams to enhance customer service offerings
Contribute to operational strategy and long-term planning initiatives
Drive operational excellence and process improvement efforts
Team Leadership & Development
Lead and mentor direct reports and laboratory personnel
Support employee development, succession planning, and performance management
Foster a collaborative, accountable, and customer-focused culture
Guide training program development to support technical competency and business continuity
Quality & Compliance
Ensure compliance with GMP, GLP, ISO, and company quality standards
Maintain focus on regulatory readiness, procedural adherence, and data integrity
Partner with Quality Assurance to address quality trends and corrective actions
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work collaboratively across departments to support customer delivery and operational alignment
Serve as a change advocate during organizational and operational initiatives
Qualifications
Required Experience
Minimum 5 years of experience in: Laboratory operations
Manufacturing or validation-focused operations
Leadership within regulated industries
Strong microbiology knowledge required
Hands-on laboratory experience required
Preferred Background
Strong candidates may come from:
Sterilization facilities
Medical device manufacturing
Validation-focused operations
Manufacturing leadership environments
Experience with the following is preferred:
Ethylene Oxide (EO) sterilization
Steam sterilization
Sterility assurance programs
Education
Bachelor's degree required, preferably in: Biology
Microbiology
Related scientific discipline
Sotera Health goes to market through its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®. Sterigenics is a leading global provider of outsourced terminal sterilization and irradiation services for the medical device, pharmaceutical, food safety and advanced applications markets. Nordion is the leading global provider of Co-60 and gamma irradiators, which are key components to the gamma sterilization process. Nelson Labs is a global leader in outsourced microbiological and analytical chemistry testing and advisory services for the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.