Lead Instrument Repair Technician in Fife, Washington at BPI Medical

About BPI Medical
BPI Medical is a leading provider of medical instrument and endoscope repair services. Founded in 1976 in Fife, Washington, we serve hospitals, surgery centers, and health systems across all 48 contiguous states with flexible endoscope repair, rigid endoscope repair, surgical instrument repair, power equipment repair, and mobile on-site service. We operate as an ISO 13485:2016 certified facility and are trusted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, MultiCare Health System, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and other anchor health systems to keep critical surgical and diagnostic equipment in service.

Our work directly supports patient care: every device that comes through our facility goes back into service, often the same week, ready for the next procedure. We are growing significantly, and we are investing in the people, systems, and processes that will let us keep delivering on what has been our standard since 1976: it has to be right, and it has to be fast, no exceptions.

The Role
As the Lead Instrument Repair Technician at BPI Medical, you are the most skilled hand on our surgical instrument line and the technician everyone else turns to. You take on the hardest repairs we receive, from microsurgical and ophthalmic instruments to self-retaining retractors and instruments with multiple failures, and you bring them back to OEM-equivalent performance and patient-safety condition. The instruments you repair go back into operating rooms at hospitals, surgery centers, and health systems we have served since 1976.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role, not a desk job. Most of your day is spent at the bench. Alongside your own repairs, you evaluate and scope incoming work, check the work of other technicians before it moves to Quality, train our technicians on the repair procedures that define our standard, and keep the Chief Operating Officer informed on bench status and turnaround. If you are a senior instrument technician who wants to grow by setting the standard for a team, without leaving the bench for management, this role was built for you.

What You'll Do
• Repair, refurbish, and functionally test surgical instruments across BPI Medical's full repair catalog at an expert level, carrying a full bench workload.
• Own complex and escalated repairs, including microsurgical, ophthalmic, dental, and podiatric instruments, self-retaining retractor mechanisms, and instruments with stacked failures, and make salvage-versus-replace calls on escalated work.
• Serve as the first point of technical escalation for the instrument line on cutting geometry, alignment, OEM service literature, and parts substitution.
• Evaluate incoming instruments, set repair scope, make repairable-versus-replace calls, and estimate labor and parts, partnering with Customer Service on quote accuracy.
• Check completed repairs from other technicians against BPI repair standards and OEM and ASTM F899 acceptance criteria before work moves to Quality Assurance, and give specific technical feedback when work needs to be redone.
• Train Surgical Instrument Repair Technicians on defined repair procedures against our competency matrix, and document training outcomes.
• Provide day-to-day workflow direction on the bench within the COO's priorities, and report backlog, aging jobs, and parts or capacity constraints before they put turnaround at risk.
• Lead root cause investigations on repeat failures and support corrective action through our quality system.
• Write and maintain repair procedures and work instructions so our repair knowledge is documented, not dependent on any one person.
• Document every step of your work to ISO 13485 traceability standards.

What You Bring
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• ANY ONE of the following: five or more years of hands-on surgical instrument repair experience, including independent ownership of complex specialty repairs (microsurgical, ophthalmic, or comparable); completion of a senior (Tech III) surgical instrument repair level with documented competency; or U.S. Military training in a relevant medical equipment, dental equipment, or precision MOS plus three or more years of hands-on surgical instrument repair experience.
• Experience training, mentoring, or checking the work of other technicians, formally or informally.
• Ability to evaluate an instrument's condition, set repair scope, and estimate labor and parts.
• Manual dexterity, steady hands, and corrected vision sufficient for sharpening and miniature-tip alignment.
• Working proficiency with a computer for work orders, repair records, and quality documentation.
• Ability to lift up to 35 lbs unassisted; able to work an assigned shift on-site in Fife, WA.
• U.S. work authorization.

Nice to Have
• Prior lead technician, bench lead, or trainer experience in a surgical instrument or medical device repair operation.
• Experience writing repair procedures, work instructions, or training materials.
• Experience with repair evaluation and quoting in a customer-facing repair business.
• OEM or trade-association sharpening and repair training.
• CRCST, IAHCSMM/HSPA Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS), BMET, or ISO 13485:2016 internal auditor credential.
• Familiarity with ASTM F899 stainless-grade requirements and AAMI ST79 reprocessing context.
• Prior experience in an ISO 13485 or FDA 21 CFR Part 820 environment, including ERP and quality management systems.
• Lean, 5S, or continuous improvement training.

Benefits
BPI Medical offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including:
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage

Work Environment & Physical Demands
On-site, full-time at BPI Medical's repair facility in Fife, WA. Standard 8-hour day shift with occasional overtime during repair surges. Bench and sharpening-station work makes up most of the day, with frequent movement across the repair floor to check work and answer technician questions. Sustained sitting, fine-motor work, and corrected-vision precision required. Frequent lifting up to 25 lbs and occasional lifting up to 35 lbs unassisted (50 lbs with assistance). PPE provided and required: impact-rated safety eyewear, nitrile gloves, lab coat or repair smock, and hearing protection at sharpening stations. Exposure to grinding particulate (with extraction), polishing compounds, and minor residual bioburden on inbound instruments prior to decontamination clearance. No travel.

BPI Medical is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
BPI Medical is a federal contractor. In accordance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, BPI Medical is committed to taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.
BPI Medical does not request or require salary history from applicants at any point prior to an offer of employment.