Public Health Microbiologist 1

Job Description

This Individual Position is Exempt from the Hiring Freeze. Qualified Applicants are Encouraged To Apply.

Welcome to the Department of Health!

We’d be delighted to have you join our team.

If you envision yourself in this role and are ready to start an exciting career with us, apply today!

This position is open to Alaskan Residents only.

Please check out the

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

This position is currently located in

Anchorage.

What you will be doing:

In this role at the Anchorage State Public Health Laboratory, you will perform testing for tuberculosis, foodborne and waterborne illnesses, sexually transmitted infections, parasites, and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

You will act as a “General Supervisor” as defined by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) 1988 (42 CFR 493).

This position also conducts a variety of analytical and scientific procedures to determine the disease state of patients using robust detection and susceptibility methods. This may include characterizing other bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral pathogens found in clinical specimens such as tissues, body fluids, excreta, lesions, or reference cultures from partnering hospitals

.

Our organization, mission, and culture:

The mission of the Division of Public Health is to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Alaskans.

Our core values guide everything we do:

Accountability –

We use human, financial, and environmental resources responsibly.

Respect –

We provide services to all Alaskans without discrimination or judgment.

Potential –

We believe in helping every Alaskan reach their full potential for health and in building strong, healthy communities.

Integrity –

We act with honesty and ethics in all that we do.

Scientific Excellence –

We are dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and using the best available data to inform public health policy.

The benefits of joining our team:

When you join the Public Health Laboratory administrative team, you’ll be part of a fun, supportive, and collaborative group dedicated to making Alaska an even better place to live, work, and play. Be part of our mission and help drive positive changes across the state!

We’re proud to offer a generous benefits package that includes 12 paid holidays each year, personal leave that grows with your service, hybrid telework options, flexible scheduling, and excellent insurance coverage.

To learn more, check out the “Benefits” tab on this posting!

The working environment you can expect:

The Anchorage State Public Health Laboratory is surrounded by six beautiful mountain ranges and is near the city trail system for walking, running, biking, and skiing. Options for dining out for lunch are plentiful and diverse in Alaska’s largest city.

The position is part of a collaborative work group of professional staff collectively working towards goals to protect and improve the health and well-being of Alaskans. The Division of Public Health includes a large and broad range of experienced, dedicated, and supportive staff. We enjoy working through the challenges of our tasks and value the contributions of each employee. We view public health as a critical piece of homeland security, and we remain committed to collaborating with internal and external partners across Alaska and the United States to protect the overall health of our population.

Who we are looking for:

The ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following position-specific competencies in addition to the minimum qualifications listed below:

Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving:

uses a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.

Flexibility:

Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles; effectively deals with uncertainty.

Self-Management:

Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

To view the general description and example of duties for this job class, please go to the following link and search for Public Health Microbiologist 1

:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/

classspecs

Minimum Qualifications

Competency-Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions

This job class uses competency-based minimum qualifications.

Please ensure your application

(through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Competency Description

The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class.  They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency.  They typically list expectations rather than specific tasks and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines.   A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.

Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

Biology:

Knowledge of the environment, plant and animal living tissue, cells, organisms, and entities, including their functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Chemistry:

Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of the composition, structure, and properties of substances, and of the chemical processes and transformations, including uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Attention to Detail:

Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

Evidence-Based Practice:

Integrates best research practices with clinical expertise and patient values for optimum care and participates in learning and research activities to the extent feasible.

Public Health:

Applies knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, methods, and tools associated with protecting and improving the health of people and their communities, including promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing, and responding to infectious diseases.

equivalent to those typically gained by:

Bachelor of Science degree or higher from an accredited institution in Medical Technology, Microbiology, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Biological Science, or Chemistry, with training and/or course work in Medical/Clinical Laboratory Sciences;

AND

Experience conducting, analyzing, and evaluating clinical microbiological tests.

Special Note:

Positions in this class may require a background investigation. Applies only to work covered under the Public Health Security and Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 or other relevant state or federal law.

Positions in this class require the incumbent to be immunized against infectious diseases.

“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from ac