Laboratory Technician 1 (LT1) DOH8558

Description

Laboratory Technician 1 (LT1)

This is a permanent position that will report onsite to the Public Health Laboratories located in Shoreline, WA.

What You Will Do:

Join the dedicated team at the Washington State Public Health Laboratories (WAPHL) as a Laboratory Support Technician. This vital role supports the scientific efforts of the Office of Environmental Laboratory Sciences by ensuring the smooth operation of sample processing, laboratory testing, and emergency response readiness. The WAPHL plays a critical role in evaluating threats to public health from biological, chemical, and radioactive materials. Apply your technical skills and contribute to protecting the health and safety of the citizens of Washington State.

Key Responsibilities:

• Receive mail, packages, and specimens.
• Log samples, specimens, and reagents.
• Review sample submission forms for quality and completeness.
• Distribute incoming samples to the appropriate laboratory.
• Prepare kits, solutions, and mixtures; conduct quality assurance tests.
• Operate laboratory equipment safely, including hotplates, water purifiers, balances, filtration equipment, ovens, furnaces, microwave digesters, pH meters, and pipettes.
• Perform reaction steps such as mixing, dissolution, filtration, and sterilization.
• Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), MSDS, and laboratory manuals.
• Load samples onto instruments and ensure accurate batch order.
• Clean, disinfect, and decontaminate lab areas and equipment.
• Sterilize and sort lab ware as needed.
• Conduct contamination testing using hand-held and lab instruments.
• Assist in organizing laboratory areas.
• Maintain accurate reagent and supply inventories.
• Prepare and report laboratory results accurately.
• Communicate schedules, requests, and reports to customers and programs.
• Transport mail to the post office.
• Deliver survey meters or other equipment to calibration or repair facilities.

You Will Be Successful at the DOH If:

• You embrace cultural humility by honoring diverse perspectives and cultures.
• You are committed to equity and inclusion, removing barriers, championing social justice, and fostering a sense of belonging.
• You use an outward mindset to make impactful contributions, blending your personal expertise with collaborative achievements.
• You excel at problem-solving and crafting effective solutions while communicating clearly across different mediums.
• You are dedicated to customer service and navigate diverse interactions to build strong organizational relationships.
• Your technical competence shines, making you an invaluable asset to our team!

Location and Flexibility

Join our onsite team to collaborate directly with colleagues and be part of our dynamic workplace environment. This position requires working onsite and in-person at our Public Health Laboratory located in Shoreline, WA.

What We’re looking for – Required Qualifications:

We value all relevant experience, whether paid or unpaid and your diverse experiences can make a difference in this role. To be considered for this position, you must meet one of the required qualification options listed and any additional qualifications included in the required qualifications section.

Option 1: One (1) or more quarters or semesters of coursework and laboratory work performing microbiological, chemical, clinical, or public health testing or surveillance.

Option 2: Six (6) or more months of work experience performing microbiological, chemical, clinical, or public health testing or surveillance.

AND the following skills and experience:

• Basic prfitiency using MS Excel, Word, and Outlook. Basic proficiency can be defined as:
  • Microsoft Excel: Creating and managing spreadsheets, entering and formatting data, applying basic formulas like SUM and AVERAGE, sorting and filtering data, and creating simple charts for data visualization.
  • Microsoft Word: Basic skills involve creating and formatting documents, editing text, using spell check, inserting tables and images, applying simple layouts, and managing headers, footers, and page numbers.
  • Microsoft Outloo: Composing and managing emails, organizing inboxes with folders, handling attachments, scheduling calendar events, setting automatic replies, and managing contact lists. These skills support effective communication and task organization.
• Knowledge of chemical laboratory principles, practices, and techniques.
  • This can include an understanding of fundamental scientific methods, proper handling of chemicals, laboratory safety protocols, accurate data recording, and experimental procedures required for conducting chemical analyses and experiments.
• Competence in operating basic laboratory equipment.
  • This may involve the ability to correctly and safely use standard tools such as pipettes, burettes, centrifuges, pH meters, spectrophotometers, and balances for sample preparation, measurement, and analysis.

Preferred Qualifications:

The qualifications below are what would make you a strong fit for this role. While these aren’t required, having them can help you stand out as a candidate.

• An Associate’s degree or higher in Laboratory Science, Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, other health-related discipline, or a closely allied field.
• Two (2) or more years of laboratory work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in the following:
  • Receiving and tracking samples and/or materials into inventory.
  • Working with blood-borne pathogens, chemical hygiene, and general laboratory safety.
  • Maintaining electronic and hard copy files.

Benefits and Lifestyle

We prioritize your work-life balance and offer one of the most competitive benefits packages nationwide, tailored to support your lifestyle. Discover more about "Why DOH" by visiting Work@Health.

Who We Are:

The PHL: Empowering Health and Protecting Communities!

The Washington State Public Health Laboratories (PHL) provides essential support to local health jurisdictions and healthcare providers in disease monitoring and outbreak response. Serving as the reference laboratory, PHL identifies rare diseases such as Rabies, Hantavirus, and West Nile virus, along with analyzing clinical samples for statewide outbreaks and shellfish contamination. With a focus on public health, PHL plays a critical role in safeguarding communities and addressing potential health threats.

We are the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

At DOH, we safeguard public health in an ever-evolving world. Through collaboration with local health jurisdictions and state, federal, and private partners, our programs, and services impact every Washingtonian and visitor daily. We're driven by Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, as outlined in our Transformational Plan for the future of Washington health.

Conditions of Employment:

I am prepared, with or without accommodations, to do the following:

Work Setting, Including Hazards

• You’ll work on-site in the lab due to the nature of the work.
• Your tasks will involve laboratory bench chemistry at fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, and instrument control terminals. Don’t worry—proper training will be provided.
• You’ll handle hazardous chemicals, including acids, bases, radioactive materials, and organic substances.
• You’ll need to be able to safely handle pressurized and liquefied gas cylinders.
• Be prepared to work standing in one location for up to 2 continuous hours and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds.
• You’ll wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including a respirator. We’ll provide a medical evaluation, training, and fitting.
• You might occasionally work in the field under potentially hazardous conditions.
• You’ll need to get vaccinations for lab contaminants as required by management, based on potential exposure risks.
• Office work will be minimal, and you’ll have a shared desk and computer space for these tasks.

Schedule (i.e., Hours and Days)

• Standard hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM.
• You’ll be part of a rotating Saturday work schedule.
• You may need to work outside your assigned hours or more than 40 hours a week on short notice during emergencies or outbreaks.

Travel Requirements

• Occasionally, you’ll travel to pick up or deliver items using a state vehicle.
• If driving, you’ll need to legally operate a state- or privately-owned vehicle, or arrange alternative transportation while on state business.

Tools and Equipment

• We’ll provide all supplies, tools, and equipment, including hotplates, stirrers, reagent purifiers, temperature baths, balances, filtration systems, and more.
• You’ll also use PPE like respirators, as well as standard office equipment like desks, computers, and printers.

Customer Interactions

• You’ll work with various teams, including:
  • The Office of Radiation Protection for radio-analytical work.
  • The Office of Shellfish and Water Protection for shellfish tissue work.
  • The Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response for CT work.

Other

• You’ll be part of the WAPHL Radiation Emergency Response Team.
• Daily lab-appropriate attire is required.
• The DOH campus is smoke-free, drug-free, alcohol-free, and scent-neutral.
• You must be able to perform the essential functions of this position, with or without accommodation.

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

We're committed to a fair and equitable recruitment process. We only consider information submitted through our formal application. We do not accept emailed resumes, cover letters, or supplemental information and will not share any emailed information with the hiring manager.

To apply, click "Apply" and complete the application. Attach your resume, cover letter, and at least three professional references (including a supervisor, a peer, and someone you’ve supervised or led, if applicable). Do not include private information such as social security numbers or year of birth.

Make sure to document your years of experience in this field or area of work along with any tools, applications, software, etc. listed in the qualifications section of this job posting.

Do attach the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• References
• DD-214 (if applicable)

DO NOT include or attach the following:

• REMOVE personal photos – DO NOT submit any documents containing personal photos.
• Transcripts
• Certifications or Diplomas
• Projects or Portfolios
• Letters of Recommendation

Veterans Preference: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve.

DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran’s status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity.

Questions and Accommodations: If you have questions, need accommodation in the application or selection process, or need information in an alternative format, contact Shawnelle Goalder at shawnelle.goalder@doh.wa.gov. For general DOH recruitment questions, email the Talent Acquisition Team at employment@doh.wa.gov. Deaf or hard of hearing contact Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1; individuals outside of Washington State contact Washington Relay Service at 1-800-833-6874.

Technical Support: Reach out to NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627 for technical support and login issues.

Supplemental Information

This recruitment may be used to fill positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment are filled, the candidate pool may be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.

Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in-full will have their responses reviewed for consideration.

Experience and education selected, listed, or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the submitted applicant profile.