Job Description

What you will be doing:
As the Public Health Microbiologist 1, you will be a "General Supervisor" as defined by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) of 1988 (42 CFR 493). Your primary focus will be on tuberculosis (TB) laboratory work, including pathogen detection and susceptibility testing for various bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral pathogens. You will analyze clinical specimens such as tissues, body fluids, excreta, lesions, or cultures from partnering hospitals. This role offers a chance to positively impact public health in Alaska through hands-on laboratory work and collaboration with a dedicated team.
 
Our organization, mission, and culture:
The Anchorage State Public Health Laboratory is Alaska's largest facility focused on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) detection and characterization. Our mission is to reduce TB infection rates in Alaska through high-quality detection methods and collaboration with partners.
 
The mission of the Division of Public Health is to protect and promote the health of all Alaskans, ensuring that every individual has access to quality healthcare and the resources needed for a healthy life. The values that guide the Division of Public Health include

• Accountability, which fosters transparency and responsibility in all actions; 
• Respect, which acknowledges the dignity of every person; 
• Human Potential, which emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals to achieve their best health; Integrity, which ensures that ethical practices are at the core of all initiatives; and 
• Scientific Excellence, which drives a commitment to evidence-based practices and continuous improvement in public health efforts. Together, these values shape the Division’s approach to enhancing the well-being of communities across Alaska.

The benefits of joining our team:
Working as a Public Health Microbiologist 1 can prepare you for various positions within the Public Health Microbiologist class series. Committed to our mission, our organization prioritizes your health and well-being and values a healthy work-life balance. We offer stable daytime schedules, breaks, paid holidays, leave, and retirement benefits.
 
The working environment you can expect:
Alaska’s public health workforce is part of a dynamic, diverse, and high-performing team. We focus on mentoring new employees to enhance their skills and expand their networking opportunities. You will work with a team of public health microbiologists, chemists, and radiological health physicists, all dedicated to safeguarding the health of our population. We also house the only CLIA surveyor in the State.

Who we are looking for: 
We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position-specific competencies:
 

• 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. 
• Flexibility - Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles; effectively deals with ambiguity. 
• Interpersonal Skills - Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations. 

Special Notice:

• A valid driver's license is required at the time of appointment. 
• The incumbent must meet requirements set forth in 42 CFR 493 Subpart M

To view the general description and example of duties for this job class, please go to the following link and search for Public Health Microbiologist 1:  https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs.

Minimum Qualifications

Competency-Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions
This job class uses competency-based minimum qualifications.  Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class. 

Competency Description           
The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class.  They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency.  They typically list expectations instead of specific tasks and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines.   A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to meet the competency successfully but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.

Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.   

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

• Biology: Knowledge of the environment, plant and animal living tissue, cells, organisms, and entities, including their functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Integrates best research practices with clinical expertise and patient values for optimum care and participates in learning and research activities to the extent feasible.
• Public Health: Applies knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, methods, and tools associated with protecting and improving the health of people and their communities, including promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing, and responding to infectious diseases.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Bachelor of Science degree or higher from an accredited institution in Medical Technology, Microbiology, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Biological Science, or Chemistry, with training and/or course work in Medical/Clinical Laboratory Sciences;
 AND
 Experience conducting, analyzing, and evaluating clinical microbiological tests.
 
Special Note: 
Positions in this class may require a background investigation. Applies only to work covered under the Public Health Security and Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 or other relevant state or federal law.
 
Positions in this class require the incumbent to be immunized against infectious diseases.

“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.

Additional Required Information

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

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

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 level of competence in applying certain 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 already documented in your application, please provide the employer's name, your job title, employment dates, and whether you were working 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 to which you are applying.
 
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 your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.
 
The State of Alaska does not provide VISA Employer sponsorships. 

MULTIPLE VACANCIES
This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.
 
APPLICATION NOTICE
You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or via hardcopy application. If you accessed this recruitment bulletin through a job search portal such as AlaskaJobs or any other database, you MUST use a Workplace Alaska online or hardcopy 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 your email address is correct on your application and that the spam filter will permit email from the 'govermentjobs.com' domains. For information on allowing emails from the 'governmentjobs.com' domains, 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 accommodation, auxiliary aides 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 applicant password assistance, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword.

Contact Information