Laboratory Associate, Bureau of the Public Health Laboratory

City of New York • New York, NY

2d • $56,981 - $61,062 • Hybrid

About The Position

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live. As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others. The NYC Public Health Laboratory (PHL) is one of the largest local public health laboratories in the United States offering a dynamic and innovative work environment where employees contribute to the health and safety of NYC residents by providing clinical and environmental laboratory testing services. With more than 100 years of leadership in public health, a team of over 200 scientific and support staff are committed to its mission to safeguard the health of all NYC residents by providing quality laboratory testing services that support the priorities of the NYC DOHMH and its community partners to prevent and respond to clinical and environmental public health concerns.

Requirements

• High school diploma or its equivalent and: One year of appropriate full-time experience or training in a biological, chemical, or clinical laboratory; or Eight credits, including laboratory coursework, in biology, chemistry, or medical technology, from an accredited college or university; or A satisfactory equivalent combination of (1) and (2) above. However all candidates must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a clinical or environmental diagnostic testing laboratory.
• Good communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Removes Laboratory Waste from lab units.
• Receives, stores, and distributes laboratory supplies and equipment.
• Cleans and operates equipment as required.
• Performs and documents daily, weekly routine maintenance and Quality Control procedures on all lab equipment.
• Cleans and sterilizes animal cages and lids on a regular basis.
• Performs Inventory and maintain adequate stock of media, reagents, and other supplies.
• Ships specimens to appropriate external labs.
• Maintain storage and security of laboratory inventory supplies and equipment.
• Prepare media and other supplies for distribution throughout the building.
• Maintain upkeep of designated laboratory instruments before and after usage.
• Will be assigned to the receiving/stock room of the laboratory.
• Receive, sort, accession and deliver specimens, not limited to outbreak specimens to testing laboratory.

Benefits

• Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/).
• Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as: a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment. additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund. a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement. a tax-deferred savings program and a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
• Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
• Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED