A senior-level operating department practitioner CV should demonstrate both deep procedural skill and leadership in the operating theatre. The CV should highlight technical competencies, case variety, and supervisory experience so UK hiring managers and NHS recruiters see you are ready for advanced responsibilities.
This UK-specific guide provides practical, role-focused examples and formatting guidance to present your relevant experience clearly.
Building a Surgical Technologist resume?
Skip the blank page. Start with a template built for this role, then tailor it for each job you apply to.
Tip: use the template as a starting point, then swap in your own numbers and project names.
Contact details and headline for a senior-level operating theatre practitioner CV
Begin with clear contact details: full name, city and country, mobile number, email, and a LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio link where available. Directly underneath, add a concise CV headline that uses the phrase Senior Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) or a close variation and includes your years of experience plus one UK speciality such as cardiovascular or orthopaedics.
Keep this section compact so recruiters instantly understand who you are and what you bring.
Professional profile
Write a 2-3 sentence professional profile that emphasises impact, such as annual caseload across theatres, leadership roles, and process improvements you have led. Use active language to describe supervisory duties, training responsibilities, and the types of procedures you support (for example, complex orthopaedic or cardiothoracic).
Tailor the profile for each application by mentioning the NHS trust or private hospital context when relevant.
Key skills
Present 8-12 key skills under a Key Skills or Core Competencies heading so ATS and UK recruiters can locate them quickly. Include clinical competencies, sterile technique, instrument handling, and leadership phrases such as 'instrument set management' and 'preoperative case coordination' to match job descriptions.
Keep each item as a short phrase rather than full sentences to improve scanning.
Employment history
List roles in reverse chronological order and include organisation name, town or city, country, your title, and dates in DD/MM/YYYY format for each position. For each job, add 4-6 achievement statements that begin with a strong action verb and quantify results where possible, such as increases in case volume, reduced turnover times, or successful implementation of onboarding programmes.
You should reference NHS pay bands (e.g. Band 5-Band 8d) to indicate level of responsibility where appropriate.
Include a brief scope note (for example, 'Scrub, circulating, and first assist in orthopaedic and vascular cases'). If relevant, mention right-to-work status and professional registrations (e.g.
HCPC).
Education and professional development
List UK qualifications starting with the highest level. Include the degree (e.g.
BSc in Operating Department Practice), university, year of graduation (DD/MM/YYYY), and any postgraduate qualifications. Include GCSEs and A‑levels as part of the early education section where applicable, and reference UCAS entries or other UK admission pathways.
Note professional registrations (e.g. HCPC registration) and memberships (e.g.
British Association of Theatre Practitioners). Document CPD activities and dates to demonstrate ongoing learning.
Additional Tips
- 1Keep a master CV with full details and create tailored one- to two-page CVs for each application.
- 2Practice concise STAR responses based on your strongest bullet points so you can expand them in interviews.
- 3If you supervised staff, include a line on scheduling, induction, or competency assessments to demonstrate leadership.
- 4Include a concise procedural summary listing your specialities and approximate annual caseload to demonstrate breadth.
- 5When possible, back up improvements with documentation such as audit summaries you can discuss in an interview.