Laboratory Services Officer

T H E   C O M M U N I T Y

Ideally located on the Pacific Ocean south of Los Angeles, adjacent to Orange County, the City of Long Beach, California (population 470,000) is frequently described as a series of strong, diverse interwoven smaller communities within a large city. Enjoying an ideal Southern California climate, Long Beach is home to an abundance of cultural and recreational options. The Long Beach Convention Center, Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, and the annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, plus a wide variety of other attractions (two historic ranchos, three marinas, and five golf courses), serve to draw 6.5 million visitors a year. The City is also home to California State University, Long Beach and Long Beach City College. Cal State Long Beach is the second largest university in the state and was recently ranked the No. 3 best-value public college in the nation. Covering approximately 50 square miles, Long Beach is supported by a wide mix of industries with education, health and social services, manufacturing, retail trade, and professional services comprising the highest representation. Known for its livable and desirable neighborhoods, Long Beach was named by America's Promise Alliance as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People two years in a row. While it offers all the amenities of a large metropolis, many say Long Beach offers the added benefit of having maintained a strong sense of community and cohesiveness despite its growth. A superb climate, quality schools, a vibrant downtown, and a wide variety of neighborhoods help make Long Beach one of the most livable communities in the country.

C I T Y   G O V E R N M E N T

Long Beach, a charter city formed in 1897, is governed by nine City Council Members elected by district and a city-wide elected Mayor. Other elected officials include the City Attorney, City Auditor, and City Prosecutor. The elected officials are elected to staggered four-year terms. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Clerk. The City Manager is responsible for the efficient administration of all City departments, excluding those under the direction of a separately elected official, Board or Commission. Long Beach is one of only three cities in California with its own Health Department and one of the very few municipalities with its own Utilities Department (Water and Gas) and Energy Resources Departments.

The City is supported by a FY 2024 total budget of approximately $3.3 billion with a General Fund budget of $719 million. More than 6,000 full and part-time employees support municipal operations with the vast majority being represented by twelve employee associations. To learn more about the City of Long Beach, go to: www.longbeach.gov.

T H E   D E P A R T M E N T

The Department of Health and Human Services has been improving the health of the Long Beach community for over a century, and Long Beach is one of only three municipal health jurisdictions in the State of California, as well as one of three City homeless continuums of care in Los Angeles County. The Department recently received public health reaccreditation and works to address matters of public health and safety, including communicable disease, strengthening the public safety net, and equitable access to care. Of the Department's $170 million budget, more than 80% comes from grant funding. The Department is overseen by the Director of Health and Human Services and has more than 55 programs serving the health and wellness of the City. It is organized into seven bureaus-Community Health, Communicable Disease and Emergency Response, Collective Impact, Environmental Health, Homeless Services, the Housing Authority, and Administrative and Financial Services. The Department operates its programs and services as efficiently and effectively as possible, using technology, innovation, and creativity to enhance the quality of services provided to the Long Beach community.

T H E   P O S I T I O N

The Laboratory Services Officer is an at-will management position that reports to the Communicable Disease and Emergency Response Bureau Manager and manages the Laboratory Services Division. This position is responsible for the scientific and administrative direction of the Long Beach Public Health Laboratory to ensure effective and efficient services and compliance with established standards, rules, and regulations. The Division currently has a staff of 7, including a microbiologist supervisor. The Laboratory Services Officer position is located at the Main Health Department, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815.  Please note this position is eligible for a hybrid schedule upon successful completion of the probationary period per the City of Long Beach Hybrid Work policy.     

Specific duties include:

• Plans, organizes, and directs the programs of the Long Beach Public Health Laboratory;

• Serves as a resource and technical consultant to the City Health Officer, City staff, local physicians, and clinical and hospital laboratory personnel on microbiology testing, policy, laws, regulations, and services;

• Establishes and maintains sound working relationships with federal, state, and county agencies concerned with diagnosis, control, and prevention of communicable diseases and other illnesses of public health concern;

• Designs and develops laboratory services to meet the needs of new or proposed Health Department programs, including working with management to meet Department and division goals;

• Coordinates the work of the Lab with other Health Department bureaus/programs, including Environmental Health and Public Health Emergency Management, and with the activities of other City Departments and clinical and hospital laboratories requiring laboratory testing;

• Instructs and reviews the work of laboratory personnel and ensures quality and accuracy in the testing environments;

• Interprets policies and procedures, including state and federal regulations;

• Ensures compliance with State and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) federal requirements for clinical public health and environmental testing laboratories, as well as compliance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institute of Health (NIH) safety requirements for a laboratory performing testing at Biosafety levels two (2) and three (3);

• Plans and directs the training of laboratory personnel;

• Prepares technical reports and budget recommendations;

• Provides technical input and contract review for outside contracts for laboratory services;

• Evaluates existing laboratory techniques and develops new or improved procedures;

• Conducts validation and verification studies of new methodologies and instrumentations;

• Working with City facility personnel, engineers, architects, and contractors to design, build, remodel, and maintain necessary facilities to house laboratory operations, including biocontainment facilities if necessary;

• Leads and directs the development, communication, and implementation of effective growth strategies;

• Implements and supervises quality assurance practices and procedures relating to laboratory operations and control activities; and,

• Performs other related duties as required.

Placement within the salary range will be dependent upon factors such as qualifications, experience, and/or grant funding availability.

T H E   I D E A L   C A N D I D A T E   W I L L

• Have knowledge and experience in running a public health laboratory, including staffing, scheduling, fee structures and budgeting, technology, and testing;

• Have knowledge of the regulations governing the management and operations of a public health laboratory, auditing, and reviewing standards; and, 

• Demonstrate the values of integrity, transparency, excellence, innovation, partnership and teamwork, as well as the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, regulatory agencies, local officials, the ability to develop and promote a culture of quality customer services and ability to work across the Department to increase collective impact.

M I N I M U M   R E Q U I R E M E N T S

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible public health laboratory experience, with a minimum of three years in a management/supervisory capacity.

A valid Laboratory Director License.

A valid California State Public Health Microbiologist Certification.

Valid motor vehicle operator license. (Required to obtain a California motor vehicle operator license within 6 months of employment if license is out of state. DMV K4 driver license information report required during onboarding if selected for position).

Willingness and ability to work evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, on-call, and during emergencies as required.

AND Applicants must meet one of the following options:

• Doctoral Degree in Microbiology, Chemical, Physical, Biological, or Clinical Laboratory Science. 

• A Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) Degree.

• Held a position as a Laboratory Director or could have qualified as a "Laboratory Director" under regulations at 42 CFR 493.1415, published March 14, 1990 at 55 FR 9538 on or before February 28, 1992.

• On or before February 28, 1992, be qualified under CA State law to direct a public health laboratory to include 4 years of full time public health laboratory experience.

A P P L I C A T I O N    P R O C E S S

This recruitment will close at 11:59PM PST, on Friday, May 31, 2024.  To be considered, applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, proof of Laboratory Director Licensure, and proof of California State Public Health Microbiologist Certification in PDF format. Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures. The selected candidate may be required to go through a background check and a physical examination prior to appointment.  Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered.  For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact (562) 570-6927.

E Q U A L   O P P O R T U N I T Y

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners. We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender.

The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act

The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If a special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call (562) 570-6927.

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