Description
Salary: $45,604 - $71,292
Position Grade: 14G
Department: Water Division
Job Type: Full-time (Permanent)
Examination Number: EX1633
Location: St. Louis, MO
Promotional - Open to Permanent City Employees Only.
The overall focus of this position is to perform a full range of microbiological and chemical testing activities in the Water Division's Microbiology Laboratory, including method development, data review and approval, standard operating procedure updates, and meeting all requirements of the Laboratory's quality control and assurance program.
The Medical Technologist (Lead) performs microbiological analyses of drinking and source water in compliance with local, state, and federal public health standards and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulations; performs tests to monitor water security; researches, develops, and implements new testing capability for the detection of current and emerging contaminants; prepares reports and makes recommendations of the impact of laboratory-generated data on public health; plans, coordinates, implements, and maintains the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) database and applications; coordinates contracts for laboratory supplies and services; performs Quality Assurance (QA) tasks to validate the integrity and security of laboratory data; and other related duties.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Schedules the work assignments, according to established workflow/assignment requirements, to assist supervisory staff with timely completion of the assigned workload.
- Trains co-workers, as directed, in specific tasks, job practices and procedures of microbiology lab work to improve and maintain the performance levels of these employees.
- Monitors distribution, reservoirs, and source waters to detect changes in water quality due to biological activity.
- Collects water samples for testing.
- Conducts tests for bacteria. Isolates and identifies pathogens, abnormalities and other required test indicators.
- Prepares growth media, agars, broths and stains.
- Performs quality control tests to assure reliability of tests.
- Performs cell counts and differentials.
- Performs environmental toxicology and clinical chemistry testing.
- Documents test results and complete related records, reports and forms.
- Identifies and corrects problems with malfunctioning lab equipment.
- Resolves problems with sample abnormalities.
- Maintains lab supply inventory.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform basic level of data analysis including the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize and/or reference data, statutes and/or guidelines and/or group, rank, investigate and diagnose. Requires discretion in determining and referencing such to established standards to recognize interactive effects and relationships.
- Human Interaction: Requires the ability to persuade, convince, influence, train and monitor the work of other Medical Technologists and lab personnel, in favor of a desired outcome. Requires the ability to act as a lead person.
- Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as spectrophotometer, autoclave, incubators, pH/conductivity meter, microscopes, centrifuge, pipettes, balance scale, telephone and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
- Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a variety of advisory data and information such as lab reports/records, test forms, requisitions, supply inventory, procedure manuals, safety manuals, equipment operating manuals, procedures, guidelines and non-routine correspondence.
- Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; calculate percentages, fractions and decimals; perform mathematical operations involving basic algebra.
- Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form. Ability to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objective.
- Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.
- Environmental Factors: Tasks may risk exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as odors, toxic/poisonous agents, disease or pathogenic substances.
- Physical Requirements: Requires the ability to lift specimen samples and lab equipment and tools weighing up to twenty pounds.
- Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify similarities or differences between characteristics of colors, shapes and odors to distinguish bacteria colonies and specimen characteristics. Ability to sustain prolonged visual concentration.
Qualifications
A Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Biology, Environmental Science, or directly related field; plus one year of environmental laboratory work experience. OR an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Preferences: Experience in analytical methods for Drinking Water, Wastewater, and environmental matrices.
Scoring Components and Their Weights
Experience and Training: 100%
May be Subject to:
Background Investigation: Pass/Fail
Documentation of Academic Credentials must be Submitted Upon Request
When completing the Employment History and the Educational/Training History sections of the Employment Application, please be as thorough as possible when describing your education, training and experience relating to this position. Applicants will only receive credit for their experience, training and education as shown on the application. Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute to a fully completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Veterans Preference Points
To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request. The Director of Personnel may, in their discretion, accept alternate documentation.
City Residence Preference Points
City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points. City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points.
Accommodations
If assistance with the job application is necessary based on a physical impairment, mental impairment, or otherwise, they should reach out to the Office on the Disabled with contact information. This office will not disclose any information that an applicant or employee has a disability or has discussed possible accommodations without the applicant's or employee's prior consent.
