Division Chief of Laboratory Services

City of New York•Queens, NY

About The Position

IMPORTANT NOTE: Candidate(s) selected for the Administrative Director of Laboratory (Water Quality) position through this posting will be hired on a provisional basis. To be considered for permanent employment in this role, provisional employees will need to take and pass the next civil service examination for Administrative Director of Laboratory (Water Quality) and obtain a list number issued by the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Please be aware that employees who do not take and pass the exam may not be able to continue in the provisional position. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEPs water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes spread throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City. The Bureau or Wastewater Treatment (BWT) Is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all facilities related to the pumping and treatment of sewage within the Cty’s five boroughs. This includes 14 wastewater treatment plants, 6 sludge dewatering facilities, collections facilities (pumping stations, combined sewer overflow retention facilities, regulators, tide gates, etc.), wastewater laboratories, and harbor vessels. The Division of Lab Services is located within the Directorate of Regulatory Compliance, Strategy and Innovation and is comprised of two Process Control laboratories, two Priority Pollutants laboratories (one Metals Laboratory and one Organics Laboratory), a Microbiology/ Molecular Biology laboratory, and the Laboratory Quality Assurance section with a total staff of approximately 75. This Division currently performs over 500,000 laboratory analyses involving over 18 specialized technologies in chemical and microbiology fields and holds NYSDOH-ELAP certification for over 220 parameters in non-potable water as well as Solid Waste categories. Laboratory facilities are equipped with sophisticated computer-controlled instruments, and equipment for sample preparation and lab analyses at parts per million to sub part per trillion levels for support to BWT and Agency for regulatory compliance reporting, optimization of treatment processes in WRRFs and Dewatering facilities, enforcement of the Industrial Pretreatment Program and monitoring of NYC harbor water quality. The Division Chief of Laboratory Services oversees the 5 wastewater labs which operate five to seven days per week, year-round, as well as the Quality Assurance Section. The Chief of Laboratory Services facilitates and ensures that the laboratory facilities and staff are adequately equipped with adequate resources including staffing, technical capabilities, proper instruments, equipment and proper work environment and climate conditions suitable to meet stringent laboratory certification requirements for wide array of methodologies. The Chief is responsible for supporting the analytical testing elements for new permit parameters introduced by local, state and federal regulators, ranging from refinement of analytical testing methods to interpretation of results and providing input on the regulatory framework that is proposed to the regulators. In addition to providing overall management to the laboratories, the Division Chief is also responsible for managing Laboratory Quality, which is overseen by the Section Chief of Laboratory Quality. This Section includes the Quality Assurance Officers (QAOs), who also serve in the role of Chemical Hygiene Officers for the BWT Labs. The QAOs’ responsibilities include ensuring compliance with laboratory standards and certifications, providing environmental health and safety reviews, and tracking analyst certifications. The Chief of Laboratory Services oversees talent management within the Division, making critical decisions on hiring, training and staff development efforts and ensures these efforts are adequately resourced in a timely manner.

Requirements

A Master's degree in an appropriate scientific field from an accredited college or university and four years of satisfactory, progressively responsible experience in a laboratory concerned with sanitary control and/or protection of a municipal water supply system; of which two years must be in a responsible supervisory or administrative capacity.
Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have two years responsible supervisory or administrative laboratory experience concerned with sanitary control or protection of a municipal water supply system.

Responsibilities

Planning, coordinating and directing the laboratory Supervisors to ensure a smooth and safe daily operation.
Implementing and maintaining a sound quality system for compliance with existing standards set forth by the regulating agencies (NYSDOH- ELAP, EPA etc.) for the certification of laboratories and required methodologies.
Ensuring safe laboratory operation in compliance with local, state and federal codes and regulations.
Supporting planning for budget, purchase, procurement of sophisticated laboratory instruments, laboratory supplies and ensuring that active inventory control.
Ensuring that the 14 WRRFs receive adequate analytical support, including Quality Assurance support to the WRRF’s laboratories (a.k.a., the “plant labs”) and purchasing support for supplies and equipment to all 14 WRRFs for their analytical needs.
Acting as a liaison with WRRF staff and the other user groups for various programs within the Bureau and the Agency for recommendations on technical suitability of the methodologies for regulatory compliance and supporting the planning of new projects by identifying optimization opportunities and creating optimization plans to enhance the efficiency of operations.
Efficiently direct operation of BWT laboratories.
Implement all measures to retain NY State DOH- ELAP/NELAC certification for the assigned laboratories and required methodologies for regulatory compliance.
Implement QA/QC plan and review process to ensure reliability of various sampling and analysis efforts in the Division of Laboratory Services.
Supervision: providing day-to-day guidance and oversight of subordinates (e.g. work assignments, scheduling, consultations, conducting meetings, use of information technology for tracking compliance and progress etc.); and working to recognize performance.
Support the rollout of information management tools, such as HACH WIMS, and the future LIMS to ensure that workflow is optimized, data review is comprehensive and effective and laboratory analysis reports are sent to the clients in a timely manner.
Communicate and act as a liaison with WRRF staff and the other user groups for various programs within the Bureau and the Agency for recommendations on technical suitability of the methodologies for regulatory compliance and for the consolidation of the workload to achieve efficiency.
Prepare reports and recommendations on technical, analytical and procedural findings for interpretation by the Director, the Deputy Commissioner and targeted User Groups.
Establish proper safety protocols for safe work environment. Coordinate efforts for removal of hazardous waste from laboratories and for renovation of all laboratory facilities to make suitable for trace level analyses.
Prepares and participates in preparation of lab budget, the development of purchase orders, RFPs, contracts, and change orders for acquisition of sophisticated laboratory instruments, equipment, outsourcing laboratory analyses, and engineering services for renovation of laboratory facilities and oversee inventory control.
Implement all measures to accommodate and/or outsource new analysis needs for specialized programs.
Review technical proposals and provide input on research program requirements to support existing and anticipated operational needs and regulatory mandates.
Participates and supports development and review of SOPs for laboratory staff, Quality Manual, Chemical Hygiene Plan and Annual Managerial Review of each laboratory.
Regularly conducts and moderates meetings with subordinates, peers and superiors and participates in the meetings with sampling groups, internal and external users groups of lab analysis data, engineering groups, local WRRF staff etc. for technical and logistical support and for defining lab’s needs for lab design and renovation efforts.
Under the direction of the Director of Regulatory Compliance, Strategy and Innovation engage in activities such as for R&D on energy savings in the lab and WRRFs, Beneficial use of Biosolids, calibration of on-line meters etc.