Laboratory Supervisor

Agency Description

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), with some 900 staff and a budget of $350 million, promotes and protects the health of all Philadelphians and provides a safety net for the most vulnerable. PDPH leads programs to: prevent communicable diseases (including HIV, other STDs, tuberculosis, and vaccine-preventable diseases); prevent chronic diseases and injuries and promote healthy behaviors; prevent environmental health risks; investigate outbreaks of disease; respond to public health emergencies; and promote the health of women, children, and families. In addition, PDPH operates eight primary care clinics. Recently, PDPH has participated with other City agencies in responding to Philadelphia’s opioid crisis and to the COVID-19 pandemic. PDPH has been an innovator in public health, pursuing novel policies to prevent and mitigate disease and injury, and intends to continue that tradition with creative solutions to both long-standing urban health problems and new crises.

Position Summary

This is supervisory laboratory work directing the activities of a laboratory staff engaged in performing diagnostic and/or environmental tests and analyses in the City’s Public Health Laboratory in the assigned area of specialization (Clinical Microbiology). Employees in this class develop, evaluate and determine the methodologies, equipment and personnel required to achieve efficient and effective laboratory operation. Work includes responsibility for evaluating and updating test methodolo­gy, ongoing training of subordinate technical personnel and administering proficiency and quality control programs to ensure test accuracy and reliability. Contact with departmental administra­tors and outside agencies to coordinate laboratory and clinical activities is a significant aspect of the work. Work is performed under a higher level administrative and/or technical supervisor. Work involves some disagreeable aspects.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. EDUCATION:

Completion of a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in medical technology, biology, immunology, serology, microbiology, chemistry or other closely related field in the chemical, physical, or biological sciences.

AND

2. EXPERIENCE:

Four years of full performance level experience performing diagnostic laboratory tests in the area of specialization.

OR

Two years as a Laboratory Program Scientist in the Health Department’s Public Health Laboratory.

NOTE: Completion of a master’s degree program in any one of the disciplines specified in the education section can be substituted for two years of full performance level experience.