Job Description

Posting number: 55303

Department: Health

Division: Public Health

Job classification: Chemist 4

Posting type: Open

Categories: Public Health, Laboratory, Health Sciences, Sciences

Summary

Welcome to the Department of Health!

We’d be delighted to have you join our team.

If you envision yourself in this role and are ready to start an exciting career with us, apply today!

This position is open to Alaskan Residents only.

Please check out the residency definition to determine if you qualify.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: In addition to meeting the listed minimum qualification competencies below, this position requires that the successful applicant meet the minimum qualifications specified in CLIA ´88 regulations, 42CFR Subpart M - Personnel for Moderate Complexity (Including the Subcategory) and High Complexity Testing, section 493.1489 Testing Personnel Qualifications.

What you will be doing:

Performing at this level in the public health lab has many responsibilities, including, but not limited to:

• Developing competency with several instruments (GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, ICP-MS, LC-MS/MS) in pursuit of the public health lab’s mission.
• Performing testing for both clinical partners and the Laboratory Response Network for Chemical Threats (LRN-C) program.
• Regularly impacting the health of Alaskans through the child in need of aid (CINA) program and other poison cases.
• Collaborating to develop and improve testing methods related to agents of public health importance.
• Coordinating with the local, state, and federal partners to participate in emergency preparedness exercises and live events.

Our organization, mission, and culture:

The mission of the Division of Public Health is to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Alaskans.

Our core values guide everything we do:

• Accountability – We use human, financial, and environmental resources responsibly.
• Respect – We provide services to all Alaskans without discrimination or judgment.
• Potential – We believe in helping every Alaskan reach their full potential for health and in building strong, healthy communities.
• Integrity – We act with honesty and ethics in all that we do.
• Scientific Excellence – We are dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and using the best available data to inform public health policy.

The benefits of joining our team:

When you join the Public Health Laboratory team, you’ll be part of a fun, supportive, and collaborative group dedicated to making Alaska an even better place to live, work, and play. Be part of our mission and help drive positive changes across the state!

We’re proud to offer a generous benefits package that includes 12 paid holidays each year, personal leave that grows with your service, hybrid telework options, flexible scheduling, and excellent insurance coverage.

To learn more, check out the “Benefits” tab on this posting!

The working environment you can expect:

The Anchorage State Public Health Laboratory is surrounded by six beautiful mountain ranges and is near the city trail system for walking, running, biking, and skiing. Options for dining out for lunch are plentiful and diverse in Alaska’s largest city.

This position is part of a collaborative work group of professional staff working together to protect and improve the health and well-being of Alaskans. The Division of Public Health includes a large and broad range of experienced, dedicated, and supportive staff. We enjoy working through the challenges of our work and value each employee's contributions. We view public health as a critical piece of homeland security, and we remain committed to collaborating with internal and external partners across Alaska and the United States to protect the overall health of our population.

Who we are looking for:

The ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following position-specific competencies in addition to the minimum qualifications listed below:

• Oral and Written Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving - Uses a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.
• Quality Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools of quality assurance, quality control, and reliability used to ensure that a project, system, or product fulfills requirements and standards.

Special Notice:

• The incumbent must meet all minimum qualifications and applicable regulatory requirements necessary to perform high-complexity clinical, forensic, toxicological, and public health analytical testing within the State Public Health Laboratory.
• The position must meet personnel qualification standards established under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), specifically:
• • 42 CFR Part 493, Subpart M – Personnel for Moderate and High Complexity Testing
• • 42 CFR §493.1489 – Testing Personnel Qualifications (High Complexity Testing)
• These regulations require individuals performing high-complexity laboratory testing to have an appropriate educational background, training, and documented competency in analytical laboratory procedures.
• A bachelor’s degree or higher in chemistry from an accredited college or university satisfies the CLIA educational requirement for high-complexity testing personnel qualification under this classification.

To view the general description and example of duties for this job class, please go to the following link and search for Chemist 4: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

Examples of duties

Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited college in chemistry, chemical or biomolecular engineering, forensic chemistry, biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, geochemistry, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, molecular biology or other physical or natural science.

AND

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

• Chemistry: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of the composition, structure, and properties of substances, and of the chemical processes and transformations, including uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
• Project Management: Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance.
• Scientific Research: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of scientific principles related to environmental, ecological, biological, or physical science and the methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.
• Technical Credibility: Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Education from an accredited college in chemistry, chemical or biomolecular engineering, forensic chemistry, biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, geochemistry, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, molecular biology or other physical or natural science.

AND

Graduate level research or progressively responsible professional experience independently performing a broad variety of analytical methods, tests and procedures that includes assessing, adapting, and validating a variety of chemical tests, methods and procedures and operation of more than one form of instrumental analysis (e.g., mass spectrometry, gas chromatography).

Special Note:

“Competencies” means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.

“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.

“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

“Professional experience” means work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment.

“Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.

Qualifications

At the time of the interview, please provide the following:

1. Three (3) professional references, whom we may contact by phone, are required. One (1) of these references must be your current or most recent supervisor, if not already provided in the application.
2. A copy of academic transcripts (unofficial is okay; please ensure that the institution name/URL is listed on the transcripts) is used to support that you meet the minimum qualifications competencies.

Please read the information below carefully. This applies to your application submission.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

For your application to be evaluated, you must answer the Supplemental Questions.

The State of Alaska uses four proficiency levels to measure and describe an applicant's competence in applying specific behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish a specific task. The four proficiency levels are Mastery, Fluency, Literacy, and Discovery. You must rate your proficiency level for each competency listed in the supplemental questions.

EDUCATION

To verify education is being used to meet and/or support the required minimum qualifications/competencies, you must fill in the Education section of the application If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials used to meet or support the minimum qualifications/competencies for a position and are required with each application (Unofficial is okay; please ensure the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts) Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of interview; if not, transcripts will be required before employment.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

If education is completed in a foreign college or university, it may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. The omission of the required documentation listed will result in an incomplete application, and you will not receive further consideration.

WORK EXPERIENCE

When using work experience not documented in your application, please provide the employer's name, job title, employment dates, and whether you worked full-time or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and if minimum qualifications are met. Work experience needed to meet the minimum qualifications must be documented in the application. If the application does not support minimum qualifications, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment. A resume will not be used to determine that minimum qualifications have been met for the position you are applying for.

If you have currently or previously been appointed to a flexibly staffed position, please ensure your work experience within a flexibly staffed position indicates the actual dates employed at each level. Ensure your time and any subsequent flex promotion(s) are documented as a separate position. This is required as minimum qualifications require experience at a particular level in which the lower level may not be considered. If this information is not accurately reflected in your application, this may cause the processing of your application for consideration to be delayed.

NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application. Noting "see resume or CV" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination that your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

The State of Alaska does not provide VISA Employer sponsorships.

APPLICATION NOTICE

You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or via a hard copy application. If you accessed this recruitment bulletin through a job search portal such as AlaskaJobs or another database, you MUST use a Workplace Alaska online or hard-copy application to apply successfully. Instructions on how to apply with Workplace Alaska may be found on the Workplace Alaska "How to Apply" webpage, found here: http://doa.alaska.gov/dop/workplace/help/

NOTICE

Questions regarding the application process can be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465- 4095. If you choose to be contacted by email, please ensure that your email address is correct on your application and that your spam filter will permit emails from the 'governmentjobs.com' domain. For information on allowing emails from the 'governmentjobs.com' domain, visit the Lost Password Help page at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword.

EEO STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-4095 in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1-800-770-8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal-opportunity employer.

WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov

For assistance with applying for a password, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword

Supplemental information

For specific information in reference to the position, feel free to contact the hiring manager at:

Jayme Parker/Chief, Public Health Laboratories

Phone: 907.371.1000

Email: jayme.parker@alaska.gov