Clinical Services Manager I Nursing for Perioperative Services (Open and Promotional)

Clinical Services Manager I

San Mateo Medical Center is seeking a professional, goal-oriented Clinical Services Manager I to lead and oversee Perioperative Services, including the Operating Room (OR), Pre/Post-Anesthesia Care Units, Endoscopy, Sterile Processing Department (SPD), and Perioperative Scheduling.

In this role, you will plan, organize, direct, and supervise operations to ensure high-quality patient care, regulatory compliance, and efficient service delivery. You will also support staff through training, coaching, and performance management while contributing to continuous improvement efforts.

Reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer/Deputy Director, this position provides direct and indirect supervision to professional, clinical, technical, and clerical staff, as well as consultants and contract service providers. You will join a dynamic team dedicated to advancing the mission of a safety net hospital.

This role manages a large, complex span of control across multiple service lines and requires the ability to balance high-volume operations, competing priorities, and diverse clinical environments. The Clinical Services Manager operates with a high degree of autonomy, making sound decisions related to operations, staffing, quality, patient safety, and fiscal stewardship.

Key responsibilities include coordinating surgical and procedural scheduling, ensuring equipment and instrument availability, overseeing sterile processing operations, and aligning staffing resources. The role also focuses on identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, optimize resource utilization, and support financial performance across perioperative services.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Three years of progressive management or supervisory experience in an accredited hospital or clinic
• Strong clinical and operational leadership in perioperative services (e.g., Operating Room, Endoscopy, and/or Sterile Processing)
• Knowledge of perioperative workflows, including surgical scheduling, procedural flow, and instrument processing
• Experience managing large, complex teams in high-acuity environments
• Ability to independently prioritize and manage competing operational demands

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated:

• Experience improving procedural throughput, including block utilization and scheduling efficiency
• Success in identifying and implementing efficiency and cost-reduction opportunities
• Experience leading structured process improvement initiatives (e.g., Lean, 5S, continuous improvement)
• Ability to analyze operational and financial data to inform decision-making and improve performance
• Collaborative experience working with surgeons, anesthesia providers, and interdisciplinary teams

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience with budget development, financial oversight, and resource management
• Strong critical thinking skills, with the ability to assess operations, identify gaps, and sustain improvements
• Experience in maintaining compliance in highly regulated environments and ensuring survey readiness
• Ability to build effective relationships across disciplines, including physicians and executive leadership
• A leadership style that emphasizes visibility, communication, accountability, and staff engagement
• A demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and support staff while addressing performance issues appropriately

Please note that two years of the required experience must have been in perioperative nursing to be considered for this position.

Note: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

The Clinical Services Manager (I) will be responsible for, but is not limited to, the following:

• Participate in developing and implementing goals, policies, procedures, and priorities for perioperative services
• Select, supervise, train, and evaluate clinical, technical, and clerical staff
• Oversee daily perioperative and procedural operations to ensure efficient patient flow and timely completion of services
• Ensure alignment between surgical scheduling, staffing, and equipment/instrument availability
• Oversee sterile processing operations, including decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and distribution
• Ensure compliance with infection control standards, sterilization requirements, and regulatory guidelines
• Monitor and optimize surgical block utilization to maximize capacity and reduce unused time
• Lead and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, reduce delays, and increase throughput
• Analyze operational and financial data to identify trends and support performance improvement
• Evaluate and optimize resource utilization, including staffing, supplies, and equipment
• Collaborate with surgeons, anesthesia providers, and interdisciplinary teams to support safe and efficient operations
• Develop budget recommendations, monitor expenditures, and ensure alignment with financial goals
• Assisting in negotiating and managing contracts with vendors, consultants, and service providers
• Represent the department in committees and work groups; provide subject matter expertise to leadership
• Maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure enforcement of nursing standards, codes, and regulations
• Respond to inquiries and provide information as appropriate
• Perform related duties as assigned

Licensure/Certification:

• Possession of a valid California license as a Registered Nurse (R.N.)
• Must possess a Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certificates approved by the American Red Cross or American Heart Association

Education and Experience: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Three years of professional nursing experience in an accredited hospital or clinic
• At least one year of supervisory experience
• Two years of the required experience must have been in perioperative nursing

Skill/Ability to:

• Organize, direct, coordinate and evaluate nursing services that ensure quality patient care and conform to all prescribed standards.
• Work cooperatively with other County departments and public and private organizations, including private medical providers.
• Analyze service delivery problems accurately, develop recommendations and take appropriate action to resolve them.
• Develop, evaluate and maintain accurate records; prepare complex and detailed written reports, procedures and contracts.
• Communicate effectively with administrative, medical, professional, clinical and citizen groups.
• Train staff and coordinate activities of contractors, volunteer groups and staff, as appropriate.
• Conduct field public health investigations; administer immunizations, TB skin tests, and chemoprophylaxis; and perform venipuncture and collect diagnostic specimen, if assigned to disease control and prevention and public health nursing programs.
• Maintain medical stability of acute and chronic conditions in a 24/7, non-medical setting, if assigned to correctional health nursing.
• Lead multi-disciplinary patient care conferences, if assigned to psychiatric nursing.
• Provide unit management and support during evening, off hours and weekends, if assigned to administration and designated as nursing supervisor.
• Surgical scheduling systems, if assigned to medical-surgical nursing.

Open and Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. The examination will consist of an interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to best meet the needs of the position based solely on the information provided in the application materials. Because of this screening process, all applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense. IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button above or below. If you are not on the County's website, please go to to apply. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

This is a continuous recruitment which may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted 5 days in advance in the County of San Mateo Human Resources Department.

Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process.

San Mateo County is centrally