Job Description

Description of Work

**As of June 1, 2023, the new salary range will be $36,682 - $55,024.**

This is a Medical Laboratory Technician position that provides full-time support to the Scientific Services section in the NCSLPH Microbiology Unit. This position is responsible for preparing plated media, chemicals, buffers, and other reagents for clinical and environmental testing laboratories at the NCSLPH. This position is also responsible for performing media QC, autoclave services, glassware preparation, biohazard waste disposal and preparation for incineration. The successful candidate will be able to prioritize media requests from various lab areas, prepare media and perform QC in a timely manner, and assist Scientific Services with general laboratory operations. This position will be responsible for record keeping of prepared media in compliance with EPA, FDA, CLIA and NCSPLH Quality Assurance guidelines. The work requires adherence to standard operating procedures for media preparation, quality control, labelling, and delivery. This position also operates chemical fume hoods, hot plates, balances, and pH meters. The candidate is required to perform hands-on maintenance and troubleshooting of laboratory equipment as needed. Working independently and within multidisciplinary teams is required. Candidates must be able to adapt to changing requirements that can arise in a high-volume media laboratory. Surge capacity response during viral, bacterial, and/or fungal public health disease clusters, outbreaks, and/or pandemics is required. Work may require extended work hours to include weekends and/or holidays to meet routine and/or emergency operations.

Areas of responsibility and duties include but are not limited to:

Provide direct laboratory support for the NC SLPH Scientific Services section to include media preparation and use of quality control organisms to test media performance

Record media preparation and QC data per EPA, FDA, CLIA, and NCSLPH QA regulatory guidelines

Perform autoclave services, glassware preparation, and biohazard waste management

Perform safe and effective operation of laboratory equipment and instrumentation including general maintenance and troubleshooting

Assist with inventory management for chemicals and consumables

About the Division of Public Health and the State Laboratory of Public Health:

The NC Division of Public Health (DPH) works to promote and contribute to the highest possible level of health for the people of North Carolina - Everywhere, Everyday, Everybody.

The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (NCSLPH) provides an array of services including Laboratory Testing, Training/Consultation and Certification. The NCSLPH provides more than 125 clinical laboratory tests and more than 65 environmental laboratory tests to the public and private medical health care system in North Carolina and performs over 6 million tests annually on human, animal, food, water, and agricultural samples. Additionally, NCSLPH provides training and consultation for local health departments, hospitals, commercial laboratories, private health care professionals, community-based organizations and state and regional staff from the NC Division of Public Health (DPH) and other state and regional agencies.

A staff of over 200 employees make up the organization units which include Administration, Bioterrorism and Emerging Pathogens (BTEP), Chemical Terrorism and Threat, Environmental Sciences, Laboratory Improvement, Molecular Diagnostics & Epidemiology, Newborn Screening, Microbiology, and Virology/Serology and is co-located with the Office of Chief Medical in a 220,000-sq. ft. state of the art facility. The NCSLPH has several doctoral level managers and research scientists as well as medical laboratory specialists, medical technologists, chemists, laboratory technicians, and support staff.

The Infectious Diseases Unit (IDU) at the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (NCSLPH) is comprised of three primary units containing various laboratories all of which provide testing services to local and state partners as well as to clinical labs for the diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and control of communicable diseases. Collectively, the unit conducts highly complex testing procedures for the detection, identification, and characterization of a wide range of infectious agents from a variety of clinical, reference, and environmental specimens.

The Microbiology Unit provides clinical and reference microbiological testing for public and private laboratories, as well as for associated partners. This diverse unit performs testing such as organism identification and detection that aids in the diagnosis of foodborne, vaccine-preventable, parasitic, and fungal diseases. Microbiological culture and workups to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and a variety of other pathogens such as Legionella and Neisseria are also performed by this unit. Microbial resistance testing and surveillance methods are also performed within the unit. Results generated from this unit are utilized by a variety of partners for diagnosis, patient management, surveillance, and outbreak investigations.

The Scientific Services section provides supports services for all clinical and environmental testing laboratories at NCSLPH. The section performs media preparation and QC, autoclave services, glassware preparation, and biohazard waste management. This work is performed by a team consisting of 6 staff members including the section supervisor.

Campus Amenities and Benefits at the State Laboratory of Public Health

We are in Raleigh, NC. According to Forbes, we are ranked as one of the top 20 best places to retire and the 2nd most educated city in the country. US News & World ranks Raleigh among the top 15 places to live in the U.S.

• 220,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility
• Plentiful Free Parking
• Easy access to highways (70, 40 and 440), NC Museum of Art, Umstead State Park, healthcare providers, and shopping centers
• Proximity to globally and nationally ranked universities (NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke)
• Fitness area with exercise equipment, classes, and wellness activities
• Patio Dining with Umbrellas
• Weekly Food Trucks, including Double Food Truck Fridays
• Car Cleaning and Detailing Services On-site bimonthly
• Annual Flu Shot Clinic for Employees and Families
• Monthly and quarterly career development classes, including opportunities for traveling
• Library of academic journals and materials on-site
• Employee Engagement and Staff Development Activities
• NCSLPH Employee Recognition Programs
• State Health Plan and State of NC Employee Benefits

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies

To receive credit for all of your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the application form. Any information listed under the text resume section or on an attachment will not be considered for qualifying credit. Qualified candidates must document on the application that they possess all of the following:

Thorough knowledge of the hazards of working with potentially infectious materials and the appropriate precautions to take to avoid infection

Skills in operating laboratory equipment and instrumentation safely and effectively

Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations in a laboratory setting

Management Preferences:

• Bachelor\'s degree in a scientific field
• Previous experience in a support services laboratory

Physical Requirements:

An occupational medical assessment may be required to determine your ability to safely work with biological, chemical, or radiological hazards. This position may also require periodic medical screenings to confirm safety practices are effectively preventing occupational injury or illness.

All costs associated with obtaining occupational health services are covered by NCSLPH.

This position:

Works with quality control organisms that require the use of personal protective equipment.

Requires the ability to distinguish colors and close visual acuity to perform data analysis and visual inspection of specimens using standard laboratory equipment.

Uses laboratory equipment that requires ability to manipulate items with fingers, ability to grasp, and ability to feel/perceive the attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an \xe2\x80\x9cequivalent combination of education and experience.\xe2\x80\x9d If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for detail.

Associate\'s degree in medical technology from an appropriately accredited institution or completion of a certified laboratory assistant course in medical technology or a comparable course from an accredited institution;

OR

High school or General Educational Development diploma and two years of medical laboratory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Supplemental and Contact Information

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) selects applicants for employment based on job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities without regard to race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, political affiliation or political influence. Pre-Employment criminal background checks are required for some positions.

Division of Public Health (DPH) main locations, including their grounds, are tobacco-free as outlined in the Tobacco-free Campus Policy. All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, \xe2\x80\x9cvape products\xe2\x80\x9d and all smokeless tobacco products, may not be used in the indicated areas. For more information, please see the policy and FAQ posted here:

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account. You will either receive a call to schedule an interview or an email notifying you when the job has been filled.

For technical issues with your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 855-524-5627. Applicants will be communicated with via email only for updates on the status of their application. If there are any questions about this posting other than your application status, please contact HR, 919-707-5450.

Please refer to the link below for additional information:

For permanent and time-limited appointments:
Eligible employees have benefits that include employee health insurance options, standard and supplemental retirement plans, NC Flex (a variety of high-quality, low-cost benefits on a pre-tax basis), and paid vacation, sick, and community service leave, to name a few. Paid parental leave is available for eligible employees. Some benefits require 30 + hours work/week for participation.

For temporary, contract or other supplemental staffing appointments:
There are no paid leave, retirement or other benefits associated with these appointment types.

State of North Carolina