Public Health Microbiologist III - County of Riverside
Riverside, CA 92501
About the Job
The County of Riverside's University Health System, RUHS, has an exciting opportunity for a Public Health Microbiologist III with the Public Health Laboratory located in Riverside, California.
The Public Health Microbiologist III performs the most advanced microbiological, chemical, and biological tests in the county public health laboratory for detecting, identifying, and controlling microbial disease agents and other impurities; and performs other related duties as required.
This is the advanced journey and lead level classification in the series and is responsible for providing technical direction to microbiologists in areas such as virology, immunology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycobacteriology, or mycology. The Public Health Microbiologist III is distinguished from the lower-level Public Health Microbiologist II in that the former performs the most complex and lead-defined microbiological and related biochemical and biological examinations.
Possession of a current, valid Public Health Microbiologist's Certificate issued by the State of California Department of Public Health and t wo years of working in a high complexity CLIA-compliant laboratory performing microbiology or immunology testing are required. A master's or doctorate from an accredited college or university in microbiology, immunology, serology, bacteriology, virology, or public health with a specialization in laboratory science may substitute for one year of the required experience.
Meet the Public Health Team
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Provide lead technical supervision over laboratory staff; assist with training and orientation of new employees and trainees; help coordinate the work of support staff to address workload needs.
• Design validation procedures and implement validation protocols for new laboratory tests; facilitate the collection, compilation and interpretation of validation data.
• Perform complex technical procedures for detecting, isolating and identifying infectious disease agents, including emerging pathogens.
• Perform screening and additional tests on blood specimens to detect sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, hepatitis viruses, and other infectious diseases.
• Perform special studies or experiments to compare with conventional methods in order to improve or adopt new procedures.
• Monitor ongoing quality control and quality assurance programs; promote the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement standards as developed by Riverside Public Health; perform quality control checks and maintain quality control charts and inventory control as required.
• Operate and maintain a variety of laboratory equipment; troubleshoot operating problems and adjust equipment.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in medical, biological sciences, or microbiology related field. (A bachelor's degree in a biological, chemical, physical, or laboratory science may be considered equivalent if 24 semester units or 36 quarter units included microbiology, cellular or molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, physics, micro technique, instrumentation, epidemiology, or another related course.)
License/Certificate:Possession of a valid California Driver's License may be required.
Possession of a current, valid Public Health Microbiologist's Certificate issued by the State of California Department of Public Health.
Experience:Two years of working in a high complexity Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) compliant laboratory performing microbiology or immunology testing as a certified public health microbiologist or clinical laboratory scientist (including Clinical Microbiologist Scientist license). (A master's or doctorate degree from an accredited college or university in microbiology, immunology, serology, bacteriology, virology, or public health with a specialization in laboratory science may substitute for one year of the required experience.)
Knowledge of: Bacteriological, serological, mycological, parasitological, virological, and other microbiological principles; techniques, equipment and terminology used in laboratory diagnosis of disease and abnormal conditions; causes and mode of transmission of communicable disease; proper health and safety precautions and procedures for protection of all persons in the laboratory; laws, regulations, and standards pertaining to public health and clinical laboratories; current trends and concepts in public health microbiology; principles of technical supervision and training.
Ability to: Develop and perform complex public health laboratory tests and examinations; provide technical supervision and train other laboratory personnel; maintain proper laboratory health and safety precautions and procedures; interpret the laws, regulations, and standards pertaining to public health, clinical laboratories, and related facilities; analyze problems, generate and evaluate alternatives, and devise workable solutions; prepare clear and concise reports and maintain records; establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental staff, other agencies, and the public.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). If you are a qualified individual and need a reasonable accommodation to take this exam, contact the recruiter before taking the exam. For additional information and the accommodation form, visit the Disability Access Office web page at: http://dao.rc-hr.com
Veterans' Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 (or NGB-22) indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here ( Download PDF reader ).
Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of both a pre-employment physical exam, including a drug/alcohol test, and a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment).
Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.
What's Next?
Open to All Applicants
This recruitment is open to all applicants.Applicants who are current County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of TheRiverside University Health Systemmay be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.
Application Period
BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. All applicants must submit a complete application by the closing date of this recruitment. No late applications will be permitted.
Include relevant work experience details on resume and/or application.
Applicants who fail to provide information demonstrating they possess the position requirements may not be considered further in the application process. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.
Upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account. If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).
For questions regarding this recruitment contact the recruiter,Angela Levinson:
alevinson@rivco.org/ 951-955-5562
GENERAL APPLICATION INFORMATION:
Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com . A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.
Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).
- Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
- Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
- Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2020, the employee contribution is 7.25% and subject to change annually.
A new member is defined as any of the following:
CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".
Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:
This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.
If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.
VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):
0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)
Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.
SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.
HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance).
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.
DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.
POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.
OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.