Principal Scientist - CR650

Title: Principal Scientist - CR650

State Role Title: Scientist II

Hiring Range: $67,000 - $81,000

Pay Band: 5

Agency: Department of General Services

Location: DCLS

Agency Website: www.dgs.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Department of General Services, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) seeks to hire a qualified candidate to serve as the Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Laboratory Coordinator in the Microbial Reference Group. Appropriate identification and surveillance of current and emerging AR threats, including carbapenem-resistant organisms and Candida auris, are critical to public health as these organisms are often associated with significant outbreaks, healthcare-associated infections, and high morbidity and mortality.

The AR Lab Coordinator is a Principal Scientist position that will function as a liaison between DCLS and its customers to facilitate and support Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (ARLN) objectives including the development and implementation of AR testing, surveillance, and response activities as well as specimen collection and submission procedures. This position will provide technical expertise, review analytical results for AR testing methods, and assist epidemiological partners with AR outbreak investigations. This position will also develop and implement laboratory training and competency programs as well as quality assurance initiatives for AR testing. The AR Lab Coordinator will develop and provide training, outreach, and education to DCLS customers including health care providers, laboratorians, and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The AR Lab Coordinator routinely interacts and leads activities within a multidisciplinary team and provides continual support to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). These duties are performed independently with minimal supervision from the group manager.

Some weekend, holiday, and on call work is required.

This is a full-time restricted position funded by a federal grant and includes state benefits.  See DHRM Policy 2.20 Types of Employment for general terms and conditions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Meet the education, and experience or training requirements of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) standard for general supervisor as defined in 42 CFR 493.1461
  
• Comprehensive knowledge and demonstrated experience in the application and procedures of microbiology
  
• Experience with laboratory safety practices and laboratory operations
  
• Experience operating and troubleshooting complex laboratory instrumentation
  
• Experience implementing, performing, and documenting QA/QC procedures and interpreting QC data/results
  
• Experience independently performing high complexity microbiological testing in a BSL-2 laboratory
  
• Experience with clinical microbiological cultures, pathogen identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST)
  
• Experience using laboratory equipment associated computer systems and laboratory information management systems (LIMS) for the analysis of specimens and reporting of results, respectively
  
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively both written and orally
  
• Experience with the development and validation of new methods
  
• Experience compiling and analyzing complex data, drawing independent conclusions, and providing interpretations of data
  
• Experience writing standard operating procedures and reports of research findings/interpretations
  
• Demonstrated ability and experience coordinating, leading, organizing, and prioritizing the work of others
  
• Experience training personnel and effectively leading a team
• Applicant must be able to routinely lift, push, or pull 20 pounds and occasionally lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.
  
  Additional Considerations
• Comprehensive kn