Career Center

The Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory at the Department of Public Health (DPH) offers an opportunity for a professional with a strong clinical laboratory background to oversee the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) laboratory section in the Division of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Mycobacteriology.  As the supervisor of this section, the incumbent in this position will oversee all aspects of receipt, processing, testing, and timely reporting of nearly 230,000 primary clinical specimens from Massachusetts residents.  The STI laboratory provides testing services to DPH contracted sites across Massachusetts.  The incumbent in this position will be responsible for oversight of staff scheduling, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of results shared with submitting agencies, and messaging about those results.  This person will ensure adequate inventory to perform all tests and will work with the division director to ensure the most current test methods and instrumentation are used. This person will also be instrumental in the implementation new instrument platforms to expand or improve upon testing.  The candidate will collaborate with both internal and external partners including laboratory colleagues in diagnostic microbiology, molecular virology, sequencing and bioinformatics core, quality assurance, epidemiologists and medical professionals in the Office of HIV-AIDS (OHA) and the Division of STD Control and Prevention, and external partners such as local clinical labs, sexual health and infectious disease physicians across Massachusetts, and professionals at the CDC other state and local laboratory programs. The person in this position must meet the qualifications of technical supervisor under CLIA.

Please note that this position requires the selected candidate to report to the office five days per week. 

This position will require work in the BSL-2 laboratory. In the context of work in a BSL-2 environment the successful candidate must understand the following: 

• Working conditions include potential exposure to infectious agents in a BSL2 laboratory.

Duties and Responsibilities (these are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Oversees all daily operations of the STI laboratory section.
• Maintains adequate resources including staff and supplies to complete all testing in the required timeframe.
• Ensures adherence to the quality management system.
• Ensures adherence to the proper biosafety protocols. 
• Communicates with the division director regularly as lab needs arise.

Required Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the testing algorithms for bacterial, viral, and parasitic sexually transmitted pathogens of public health significance.
• Awareness of conventional microbiology and virology.
• Understanding of molecular biology and PCR.
• Keen knowledge of immunology and serological methods.
• Comprehension of pertinent automated microbiology instrumentation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of proper practices for a BSL-2 laboratory.
• Knowledge of CLIA regulations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding testing algorithms and platforms sufficiently to troubleshoot and/or advise improvements to test services.
• Understanding of laboratory information management systems and results messaging.
• ASCP certification. 

Special Requirements:

As part of the pre-hire process, you will be required to submit transcript(s) for review for the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) verification process.

If selected as the preferred candidate, you will be required to submit an official transcript from each accredited academic institution to verify the above.

Please note that we will be unable to move forward with your application for this position if you do not meet CLIA qualifications.

About the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences (BIDLS):

The DPH Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences (BIDLS), predominantly located in Jamaica Plain, provides public health response to infectious disease. These services include programmatic and epidemiologic response, as well as laboratory testing through the State Public Health Laboratory (SPHL).

Infectious disease response services address concerns of the general public as well as those disproportionately affected by infectious disease through a variety of risk factors. BIDLS administers ongoing disease reporting for over 90 reportable diseases in the state. Disease reporting review and follow-up with clinical providers and local boards of health is a central function of the bureau. Surveillance activity is complemented by an extensive contracted service system. These services are funded through state and federal resources and include prevention education, community outreach screening for infectious disease, immunization services, health service navigation, medical case management, insurance enrollment, housing assistance, and referral and linkage to infectious disease treatment. 

The SPHL provides scientific expertise and capacity to identify infectious agents, chemical agents, and other toxins that cause human disease.  The SPHL is an active partner in joint activities with other bureaus/agencies such as environmental health, food and drug, agriculture, disease prevention and health promotion programs, and public safety.  The SPHL is a reference laboratory of the national Laboratory Response Network (LRN) and is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Select Agent laboratory. SPHL staff work closely with laboratory and disease prevention programs at the CDC, and partners with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

About the Department of Public Health:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth. We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.
 
DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities and a variety of businesses that impact public health. We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

More information can be found at: MA Department of Public Health

Pre-Hire Process:

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the   Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800- 510-4122 Ext. #2

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

Salary: 83,659.16 - 123,465.94 Yearly