About This Role
This full-time, on-site position at the Public Health Laboratory in Shoreline, WA, involves preparing and processing environmental and clinical specimens, detecting pathogens and toxins, and contributing to quality assurance and lab operations. The role is crucial for public health, directly supporting biological threat detection and outbreak response.
Responsibilities
- Prepare environmental and clinical specimens for analysis
- Perform manual and automated DNA/RNA extraction, filter cutting, and specimen log-in
- Survey suspicious packages as part of emergency response testing
- Perform culture-based methods to detect and identify bacterial pathogens
- Perform qPCR to detect and identify bacterial and viral pathogens
- Use Time Resolved Fluorescence and Mouse Bioassay to detect toxins
- Conduct MALDI-TOF analysis to identify toxins
- Learn and apply new technologies and assays as assigned to address emerging disease threats
- Assist the lead with quality control and quality assurance activities, including media and reagent QC, completed accurately and on schedule
- Maintain laboratory equipment through regular temperature monitoring, real-time PCR platform calibration, and eyewash flushing
- Use Media Lab for document review and competency assessment
- Assist the lead(s) in training other microbiologists on the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical aspects of the work
- Enter submitter information and testing results into laboratory databases; currently StarLIMS, Access Reference Database, and LRN Results Messenger
- Support surge events in other laboratory sections when needed
- Contribute to project work such as process improvement and method validation or verification
Requirements
- For Microbiologist 1 Level, Option 1: Two (2) or more years of experience in a Microbiology or Molecular laboratory that includes 60 semester hours, or equivalent, from an accredited institution which includes either 24 semester hours of medical laboratory technology courses - OR - 24 semester hours of science courses that includes Six (6) semester hours of chemistry, Six (6) semester hours of biology, and Twelve (12) semester hours of chemistry, biology, or medical laboratory technology in any combination
- Laboratory training that meets one of these criteria: Completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by the ASHES, the CAHEA, or other organization approved by HHS - OR - At least three (3) months documented laboratory training in each specialty in which the incumbent performs high complexity testing
- For Microbiologist 1 Level, Option 2: Bachelor's degree or higher in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cell biology, Biology, Chemistry, or another basic medical science, which includes 20 or more semester hours in relevant subjects
Important Details
- Contract: one 7-month temporary (non-permanent) position and one permanent position
About the Company
The Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health of all people in Washington.
