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Chicago, Illinois

Recovery Surgeon: Abdominal Organs

SurgeryFull-Time

Listed compensation

$400k-$450k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Company Description

Since our inception in 1986, working with hospitals, forensic and funeral professionals and all those in Illinois and northwest Indiana who say yes to donation: We have saved more than 29,000 lives through organ donation, and helped hundreds of thousands of patients receive the donated tissue they need to see, walk, heal and live a pain-free life or life of mobility again.

As one of 55 non-profit organ procurement organizations that make up the nation’s organ donation system, we work with more than 180 hospitals, the eye banks serving our regions, and thousands of forensic and professional partners, in our federally designated donation service area to coordinate organ, eye and tissue donation

We work closely with Illinois’ 10 transplant centers as well as centers across the country to manage the recovery, care and transportation of donated organs to transplant patients.

Headquartered in Itasca, Ill., with offices in Springfield and Chicago’s Chatham community, Gift of Hope serves one of the largest and busiest donation service areas in the country. Every day is our new opportunity to honor the decisions of those who say yes to donation, support and serve their families, and save and heal as many lives as possible through organ and tissue donation.

The impact of this work is profound.

Job Description

Procure abdominal organs for Gift of Hope and ensure the highest quality of care during the recovery process

The following essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Advance Gift of Hope’s mission, vision and core values: providing compassionate service, contributing to outstanding teams and engaging as one of our passionate people committed to a positive culture that respects the dignity and worth of each individual. Adhere to all policies and procedures in carrying out the responsibilities of this position.

Respond to all calls for recovery of abdominal organs at donor hospitals and participate in the recovery of these organs

Participate in training and performance of in-vivo abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) (V-A-ECMO) for donation after circulatory death (DCD) procurements as well as ex-vivo normothermic liver perfusion when indicated

  • Promote professionalism in the operating room for all who are participating in the recovery process
  • Present and participate in relevant meetings with Gift of Hope staff regarding donation issues that arise in the recovery process
  • Maintain a case log of all organ recoveries
  • Other duties as assigned by the Medical Director

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Medicine with experience as a transplant surgeon
  • Current State of Illinois licensure as a physician

Experience and Skills Required

The following indicates the minimum skills and experience required to perform the essential functions of the job.

Experience working with OPOs and a demonstrated understanding of the regulatory and network structure in which they operate

  • Demonstrated achievement in physician leadership
  • Excellent communication skills and strong negotiation ability

Ability to work collaboratively as a team member with a wide variety of internal and external audiences to accomplish goals

Ability to research and integrate information from a variety of sources and make sound decisions based on that research

  • A commitment to working in a culturally diverse organization and community
  • An energetic and whole-hearted approach toward relationship-building
  • Basic skills in Excel and Word

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

  • Ability to perform organ recovery with the highest degree of surgical proficiency
  • Ability to travel locally and nationally to participate in meetings and seminars

Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to convey and exchange complex information to a variety of audiences

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that will be encountered by an employee while performing the essential functions of the job.

  • Normal office environment
  • Normal operating room environment
  • Carry a personal cell phone to be accessible outside regular business hours
  • Local travel to office and donor hospitals
  • Ability to travel locally and nationally to participate in meetings and seminars

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation: USD 400000.00 - USD 450000.00 - yearly

Key Responsibilities

The Recovery Surgeon is responsible for procuring abdominal organs at donor hospitals while ensuring the highest quality of care during the recovery process. They must also participate in advanced perfusion techniques and maintain accurate case logs for all organ recoveries.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
10+ years of experience

Key Skills

Transplant surgeryAbdominal organ recoveryTeam collaborationData analysisRegulatory complianceOperating room professionalismClinical documentation

Surgery — Physician Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$425k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $425k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Surgery by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$400k–$450kSurgery median $650k (middle half $505k–$725k)23 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$425k in purchasing powerIllinois index 100.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Surgery listings in Illinois38 active1,261 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedIllinois Physician listings: 24% state a sign-on bonus (median $100k) · 24% offer loan repayment993 active listings, Nov 2026
Surgery hiring demand#4 of 28 specialtiespostings stay open a median 40 days · 40% state a sign-on bonusWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 604 postings, 152 closed
New Surgery listings762 in the last 30 days496 the 30 days before (+54%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), WeekdayDoc Hiring Index; as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Surgeon Jobs

26 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

25 jobs · 13 employers
10
<$390k
1
$475k
10
$480k-570k
3
$650k
1
$662k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

21 jobs · 13 employers
Sign-on bonus
67%
401k / retirement match
52%
Relocation assistance
24%
CME allowance
14%
Loan repayment
5%

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Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 2.4
Better work-life than 20% of Surgery listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,262 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$354k≈ 0.9× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,311/mo≈ 7% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
33 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.