Public Health Assistant Laboratory Director

County of Shasta • Redding, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Under general direction of the HHSA Public Health Branch Lab Director, the Public Health Assistant Laboratory Director assists with planning, organizing, directing, and carrying out the activities of the Public Health Laboratory. This is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) accredited laboratory performing high complexity testing in compliance with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ’88). This position is an unclassified, at-will position.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree from an accredited university in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science WITH a letter of approval to train as a Public Health Microbiologist from the California Department of Public Health Laboratory Field Services OR Certification as a Public Health Microbiologist from the state of California Laboratory Field Services
• Three (3) years of experience in a public health lab.
• Knowledge of: Bacteriological, serological, mycological, parasitological, virological, and other microbiological principles; laws, regulations, and standards pertaining to public health laboratories; techniques, equipment, and terminology used in the examination of body fluids and tissues, foods and water; proper laboratory safety precautions and procedures; current trends and concepts in public health microbiology and the general field of public health; causes and modes of transmission of communicable disease; basic principles of administration and supervision.
• Ability to: Organize a public health laboratory program; perform complex laboratory tests and examinations; maintain proper laboratory safety precautions, procedures, and quality assurance; prepare clear and concise programmatic and fiscal records and reports; set up and operate laboratory equipment; detect equipment malfunctions and substitute alternative testing methods; interpret laws, regulations, and standards pertaining to health and chemical laboratories and related facilities; analyze and implement policies and procedures; supervise and provide performance evaluations for laboratory personnel (hire; train, motivate, evaluate, and assist in any disciplinary process as appropriate); actively promote the Public Health Branch's mission and population-based health outcomes orientation; establish and maintain excellent interpersonal relations with a diverse range of people and agencies; establish and maintain a strong customer service perspective and teamwork approach; identify and solve laboratory technical and administrative problems efficiently; and provide innovative and strategic leadership on behalf of Public Health Lab services.

Nice To Haves

• Possess certification by the American Board of Medical Microbiology, American Board of Clinical Chemistry, American Board of Immunology, American Board of Bioanalysis, or other National accrediting board approved by the Federal Division of Health and Human Services Agency.
• Plans to pursue certification by the American Board of Medical Microbiology, American Board of Clinical Chemistry, American Board of Immunology, American Board of Bioanalysis, or other National accrediting board approved by the Federal Division of Health and Human Services Agency.

Responsibilities

• Assists with the planning, development, implementation, and oversight of public health laboratory programs, services, and activities.
• Reviews, recommends, and implements policy and procedural changes.
• Analyzes statistical and fiscal data and operational problems to develop operating procedures for laboratory programs and functions.
• Ensures that testing systems developed and used for each of the tests performed in the laboratory provide quality laboratory services for all aspects of test performance, which includes the pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic phases of testing.
• Ensures that the physical plant and environmental conditions of the laboratory are appropriate for the testing performed.
• Provides a safe environment in which employees are protected from physical, chemical, and biological hazards.
• Ensures that test methodologies selected have the capability of providing the quality of results required for patient care.
• Ensures that verification procedures used are adequate to determine the accuracy, precision, and other pertinent performance characteristics of the method.
• Ensures that laboratory personnel are performing the test methods as required for accurate and reliable results.
• Ensures that the laboratory is enrolled in approved proficiency testing programs for the testing performed, that the proficiency testing samples are tested as required, that the results are returned within the time frames established by the proficiency testing program, and that all proficiency testing reports are reviewed by the appropriate staff to evaluate the laboratory's performance and to identify any problems that require corrective action.
• Ensures an approved corrective action plan is promptly developed and followed when any proficiency testing result is found to be unacceptable or unsatisfactory, or when a deficiency is noted by the staff of the California Department of Health Services, with notification of such plan to the Public Health Lab Branch Director.
• Ensures that the quality control and quality assurance programs are established and maintained to assure the quality of laboratory services provided and to identify failures in quality as they occur.
• Ensures the establishment and maintenance of acceptable levels of analytical performance for each test system.
• Ensures that all necessary remedial actions are taken and documented whenever significant deviations from the laboratory's established performance characteristics are identified and that patient test results are reported only when the system is functioning properly.
• Ensures that reports of test results include pertinent information required for interpretation.
• Ensures that consultation is available to the laboratory's clients on matters relating to the quality of the test results reported and their interpretation concerning specific patient conditions.
• Consults with and acts as a reference for physicians, clinical laboratories, other divisions of the Public Health Branch, other Health and Human Services Branches, and other County departments.
• Interprets Federal, State, local and internal rules and regulations.
• Supervises, motivates and assists subordinate staff in resolving complex and/or technical problems.
• Performs laboratory analysis of drinking water and other specimens.
• Identifies potential funding sources and prepares proposals for contracts, and grants.
• Oversees selection of laboratory services and recommends laboratory fees in consultation with the Public Health Branch Lab Director.
• Assist with administration of laboratory contracts and laboratory budgets.
• Oversees inventory control and preventive maintenance.
• Provides leadership in actively promoting the Branch's mission and aligning the Public Health Laboratory's activities with the mission and direction of the Health and Human Services Agency and Public Health Branch.
• Works to integrate the Public Health Laboratory's activities with those of all other divisions of the Public Health Branch.
• Assists the Branch in seeking and maintaining Public Health Accreditation.
• Assists the Branch in seeking to increase access to public health services to hard-to-reach populations, and in increasing the cultural competency level of the Branch as an organization.
• May serve on or chair Public Health Branch or Health and Human Services ad hoc committees or team meetings and/or represent the Branch before community groups and governmental agencies as designated by the Public Health Branch Lab Director.
• Performs other duties as required.

Benefits

• CalPERS retirement program
• Direct deposit for paychecks
• Potential for future salary increases based on Unrepresented Management Cost of Living Increases

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree