Senior Scientist (Microbial Reference) - CL067

DHRM•Richmond, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Virginia Department of General Services (DGS) is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as Senior Scientist in the Microbial Reference Group for the Commonwealth's Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS). DCLS is one of the largest and most diverse consolidated state laboratories in the nation, performing approximately 9 million tests annually. The results from these tests are used by public health, agriculture, food regulatory, environmental protection, and law enforcement officials to protect citizens, the food supply, the environment, and commerce. DCLS is a member of several public health networks and emergency response groups. The Microbial Reference Group delivers specialized laboratory testing focused on detecting and identifying bacterial and fungal pathogens that cause disease in humans, whether found in food or in the environment. The group also plays a critical role in testing for high-consequence pathogens and potential biological agents that could be used to threaten public safety. The team routinely analyzes human and environmental samples as part of investigations involving emerging infectious diseases, gastrointestinal illness outbreaks, and in support of autopsy or suspicious death cases. This position will primarily focus on the Mycobacteriology testing section.

Requirements

Meet the education, and experience or training requirements of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standard for general supervisor in a high complexity microbiological laboratory as defined in 42 CFR 493.1461.
Experience operating and troubleshooting complex laboratory instrumentation.
Experience with quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures and interpreting data.
Experience independently performing high complexity microbiological testing in a BSL-2 laboratory.
Experience with clinical microbiological cultures and pathogen identification.
Experience using laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
Experience serving as a team leader and/or training staff.
Knowledge of laboratory safety practices.
Good technical skills, strong attention to detail, excellent oral and written communication, time management, sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated ability to follow procedures, prioritize work and identify errors.
Ability to work on-call coverage holidays and weekends on an occasional basis.

Nice To Haves

Meet specific subspecialty of mycobacteriology requirement of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standard for technical supervisor as defined in 42 CFR 493.1449.
Experience with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).
Experience with molecular methods and procedures.
Experience independently performing high complexity microbiological testing in a BSL-3 laboratory.
Experience with the development and validation of new methods.
Experience writing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and/or reports of research findings/interpretations.

Responsibilities

Performs routine and emergency moderate to high-complexity laboratory testing with accuracy and efficiency.
Documents work processes, organizes, schedules and prioritizes daily workflow for work area, ensuring testing turnaround times are met.
Serves in a team lead capacity by training others to perform testing, demonstrating a high degree of independence and technical expertise.
Reviews, verifies, and approves the work of team members, ensuring timely and accurate documentation of data and results within LIMS.
Troubleshoots microbiological and molecular test methods and instrumentation.
Assists with validation and verification of new instrumentation and methodologies.
Reviews and revises standard operating procedures.
Supports quality assurance efforts by upholding testing standards and ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of laboratory results.
Maintains a safe and compliant work environment by following SOPs, safety protocols, and laboratory best practices.