Manager of Inpatient Surgical Services

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Manager, Inpatient Perioperative Services

Leading Not-for-Profit Health System  |  Operating Room Leadership  |  16 ORs  |  523-Bed Campus

Sacramento, California  |  Full-Time, Exempt  |  Monday–Friday (Varied Shifts)  |  Onsite

You have built your career inside the OR — one of the most demanding, unpredictable, and unforgiving environments in healthcare. You know what it feels like when vacancy rates climb, when the schedule rules your life, when leadership turnover leaves frontline teams exposed, and when the system quietly expects perioperative leaders to absorb it all without flinching.

This role is built differently — and it is built for a perioperative leader who is ready to stop running on fumes and start leading somewhere their work, their time, and their judgment are genuinely valued.

Our client — a Forbes-recognized, not-for-profit regional medical center and flagship campus of one of Northern California's largest integrated health networks — is seeking a Manager of Inpatient Perioperative Services to lead intraoperative nursing across a 16-OR surgical enterprise within a 523-bed acute care medical center. This is a true Operating Room leadership role — focused exclusively on the intraoperative environment — with operational and clinical accountability for approximately 143 FTEs, including four direct-report Assistant Clinical Managers. You will oversee perioperative nursing operations supporting advanced surgical programs in oncology, orthopedics, spine, neurology, neurosurgery, women's and children's services, and complex medical-surgical care, partnering with surgeons, anesthesia, sterile processing, quality, and executive leadership to set the standard for surgical excellence across the region. You will function as a strategic operator and clinical leader at the center of a multidisciplinary team — not as an isolated manager buried under spreadsheets, staffing gaps, and unread emails.

•     Real Leadership Infrastructure — Not a Solo Job — Lead a team of approximately 143 FTEs with four direct-report Assistant Clinical Managers underneath you — meaning you are not the only leader in the room when something escalates at 6:00 a.m. Set the strategy, then trust your bench.

•     Genuine Operational Autonomy — Own the strategic and tactical direction of OR operations, set protocols, standardize workflows, and drive capital and operating budgets without being micromanaged. You are the decision-maker, not a conduit.

•     Meaningful Surgical Volume & a Team That Collaborates — Lead OR nursing for one of the region's most respected surgical programs — nationally ranked in orthopedic care, joint replacement, cardiac, stroke, oncology, and women's and children's services. You'll work alongside surgeons, anesthesia, sterile processing, and informatics inside a culture where OR nurses report strong coworker relationships as their #1 source of satisfaction (2025 AORN Salary Survey).

•     Real Flexibility Within a Predictable Structure — Monday–Friday schedule with varied shifts — a rarity in perioperative leadership. Weekends are as-needed, not the default. You get to plan a life outside the OR.

•     Work-Life Balance Backed by Investment — Generous PTO, paid holidays, paid family and medical leave, bereavement, jury duty, and parental leave — plus Employee Assistance Program access and well-being programs designed for healthcare leaders who carry real weight.

•     An Employer That Invests in Leaders — Tuition reimbursement, leadership development programs, mentorship pathways, and a pension plan fully funded by the employer in addition to a 403(b) with company contributions. This is an organization that plans to keep you for the long haul — and pays like it.

•     Lead overall operational and clinical nursing direction for the inpatient operating room, with intraoperative scope across 16 ORs supporting a 523-bed acute care hospital.

•     Directly supervise four Assistant Clinical Managers and provide leadership oversight for a perioperative nursing team of approximately 143 FTEs.

•     Plan, organize, and optimize OR nursing operations and resources to deliver safe, efficient, high-quality patient care consistent with state, federal, AORN, and Joint Commission (TJC) standards.

•     Develop and manage capital and operational budgets, driving financial performance through effective utilization of staff, supplies, instrumentation, and processes.

•     Identify best practices, standardize workflows, and lead change initiatives that improve surgical throughput, patient safety, and nurse engagement.

•     Build and sustain strong partnerships with surgeons, anesthesia, sterile processing, executive leadership, and external regulatory or accrediting bodies.

•     Coach, mentor, and develop your Assistant Clinical Managers and frontline charge nurses — building a leadership pipeline in a specialty where national vacancy rates sit near 18%.

Required

•     Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.

•     Active California Registered Nurse (RN) license.

•     BLS – Basic Life Support (Healthcare Provider) certification.

•     Approximately 8 years of recent, relevant nursing experience with demonstrated leadership responsibility.

•     Demonstrated proficiency in perioperative operations, regulatory standards, budget management, and team leadership.

Preferred

•     BSN — Bachelor's degree in Nursing.

•     CNOR — Certified Perioperative Nurse.

•     5–10 years of perioperative services clinical leadership, ideally with circulating RN experience in an intraoperative setting.

•     Proven track record standardizing workflows and leading multidisciplinary teams in a high-acuity, complex surgical environment.

•     Experience in a large, integrated, or academic-affiliated health system.

Compensation

•     Base salary range of $195,561 – $312,915 annually, with final offer based on experience, licensure, certifications, and internal equity.

•     Eligibility for performance-based incentive compensation and merit increases.

•     Comprehensive total rewards program that goes well beyond base pay.

Health & Wellness

•     Medical, dental, and vision coverage with multiple plan options — including in-network access through the employer's own health plan.

•     Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) — medical and dependent care.

•     Short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, AD&D, and critical illness insurance.

•     Employee Assistance Program (EAP), behavioral health support, and well-being programs built specifically for healthcare professionals.

•     Fertility, adoption, and inclusive family-building resources.

Financial Security

•     Employer-funded pension plan — still a genuine rarity in modern healthcare, funded entirely by the employer.

•     403(b) retirement savings plan with company contributions.

•     Retiree Health Care Account — $1,000 per year of credited service accrued toward post-retirement health premiums.

•     Deferred compensation plan for eligible leadership positions.

Growth & Development

•     Tuition reimbursement up to $5,000 annually for job-related coursework.

•     Leadership development, clinical certification support, and mentoring programs.

•     Defined career pathways across one of Northern California's largest integrated health networks.

•     Student loan support resources.

Work-Life Balance

•     Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), paid holidays, and paid sick leave.

•     Paid family and medical leave, bereavement leave, jury duty leave, and parental leave.

•     Adoption reimbursement and dependent care support.

•     Voluntary benefits including group legal, home/auto, and pet insurance; broad employee discount program.

•     Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.

Our client is a flagship medical center and the foundational campus of one of Northern California's largest not-for-profit integrated health networks — a system that operates more than 25 acute care hospitals, over 200 clinics, and serves more than 3 million patients annually across Northern and Central California. The medical center itself is a 523-bed downtown campus comprising a general acute and specialty medical/surgical hospital alongside a women's and children's specialty center, together delivering advanced care in cancer, orthopedics, spine, neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, women's health, and intensive care.

The campus is consistently recognized among U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals — ranked in the top of its state and metro area, with 18+ High-Performing ratings across specialties including stroke, cardiac surgery, joint replacement, oncology surgery, and orthopedics. It has also been named among America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Care and Joint Replacement by Healthgrades (2026), and earned U.S. News's inaugural Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access recognition. The parent health system has been named among Forbes' and Newsweek's Best Places to Work in California.

Mission-driven, clinically excellent, and financially stable, this is an organization where perioperative leadership is treated as strategic — not as a support function. You will be surrounded by surgeons, clinicians, and administrators who expect excellence and know how to support it.

Sacramento offers something increasingly rare in California — a genuine capital city lifestyle without Bay Area cost of living or Los Angeles congestion. You'll find leafy, walkable neighborhoods; a nationally recognized farm-to-fork food scene; year-round outdoor recreation along the American and Sacramento Rivers; and easy access to Lake Tahoe (90 minutes east), Napa wine country (an hour west), and the San Francisco Bay Area (under two hours). Families benefit from strong school options, diverse communities, and a housing market that still offers real value for a healthcare executive's income. It is, quite simply, one of the best places in California to build a senior healthcare career and a full personal life at the same time.

READY TO MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE?

Contact your recruiting representative directly for a confidential conversation about this opportunity.

Client identity and full application details will be shared with qualified, vetted candidates under confidentiality.

Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer — EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.