MICROBIOLOGIST

Posting Begin Date: 2025/01/23

Posting End Date: 2025/02/06

Category: Agriculture

Sub Category: Laboratory

Work Type: Full Time

Location: Boise, ID, United States

Minimum Salary: 20.60

Maximum Salary: 20.60

Pay Rate Type: Hourly

Description

State of Idaho Opportunity

Applications will be accepted through 4:59 PM MST on the posting end date, 02/06/2025 "Serving consumers and agriculture by safeguarding the public, plants, animals and the environment through promotion, education and regulation."

Duties may involve working with toxic, volatile, corrosive chemicals, and carcinogenic substances. When hired, an initial blood draw will be required to preserve a baseline serum sample for the employee. Additional blood draws will be required every three years to check an employee's Brucellosis antibody titer. This position works from approximately 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; however, due to the workload the schedule may vary.

Job Summary:

Perform Brucellosis analysis on lab samples. Perform related sample preparation work, quality assurance and result reporting tasks. Maintain laboratory equipment. Communicate with internal and external clients.

Testing/analysis . Typical responsibilities: prepares, tests, interprets, and reports results of various biological and microbiological specimens; receives, receipts and numbers specimens; centrifuge and pipette samples; prepares reagents, dyes, standards, and quality control solutions; prepares and calibrates laboratory equipment and instruments for operation; performs quality control testing on materials and samples; calculates finished data; evaluates the validity of sample; confers with staff regarding testing of specimens; may recommend new techniques or changes in standardized laboratory methods.

Equipment operation/maintenance . Typical responsibilities: learns to evaluate methods and instrument operation problems and to review and analyze test results to locate malfunctions; performs minor repair and maintenance on laboratory equipment; ensures glassware and equipment are washed and sterilized; orders and verifies supply needs.

Example of Duties

Key Responsibilities:

· Organizes and performs daily Brucellosis testing

· Prepares tests, interprets and reports results of various biological specimens

· Receives, receipts and numbers specimens

· Prepares and calibrates laboratory equipment

· Performs quality control testing on materials, instruments and equipment

· Calculates finished data for validity

· Evaluates the validity of samples

· Confers with staff regarding testing of specimens

· Evaluates methods, instrument operation and data problems to identify problems

· Performs minor maintenance repair and maintenance of laboratory equipment

· Ensures lab facilities and equipment are clean

· Orders and verifies supply needs

· Responsible for Brucellosis lab in the absence of the lead Brucellosis Lab Scientist

· Communicates with clientele, state and federal officials on matters of Brucellosis testing

· Brucellosis data entry

· Maintain Brucellosis SOPs

· Initiate corrective action for non-validating testing or results

· Assists in other laboratories and general lab sample check in as needed

· Fulfills responsibilities of an ISDA employee as outlined in the department Risk Management/Safety Policy

· Assists in mail distribution internally and mailing packages from the lab

· Other assigned duties

Minimum Qualifications

These qualifications are mandatory requirements.

Good knowledge of:

· Principles, laboratory practices and application of biology and microbiology.

· Current laboratory methods, materials, and equipment.

· Information sources for technical data used for standardizing testing and quality control.

All three of these requirements can be typically gained by college coursework in microbiology or related field (immunology, parasitology, virology, and/or pathogenic microbiology) in addition, has lab experience that included instruction and experience in current laboratory methods and provided good knowledge of current laboratory methods, materials, and equipment.

Experience:

· Performing basic microbiological analyses on medical, animal, and environmental samples.

· Performing algebraic computations required to compute relationships between standards and sample;

· Accurately recording examination observations and writing technical laboratory reports;

· Operating, calibrating, and maintaining laboratory instruments and equipment;

· Determining interference factors of tests and recognizing sample variation.

Experience is typically gained by college coursework in microbiology or related field (immunology, parasitology, virology, and/or pathogenic microbiology) in addition has lab experience that included instruction and experience in current laboratory methods and provided good knowledge of current laboratory methods, materials, and equipment.

Specialty Areas: This qualification is a mandatory requirement.

· Willing and able to lift materials weighing up to 25 pounds, with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Supplemental Information

Desirable Qualifications: These qualifications are not required, however, if you have the related background it may increase your score.

Good knowledge of:

· Animal disease diagnostics and/or Brucella species diagnostic tests

· Laboratory safety

Experience:

· Writing SOPs

Temporary appointments from this announcement, serving at least one thousand forty (1,040) hours of continuous service, may be hired as an entrance probationary employee without further examination for the same classification and location as announced.

Thank you for your interest in the Department of Agriculture!

If you have questions,

please contact us at:

[email protected] or at (208) 332-8520

Hiring is done without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability. In addition, preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations. If you need special accommodations to satisfy testing requirements or for the recruiting process, please contact ISDA’s HR Department at [email protected] or at (208) 332-8520.

Benefits

https://dhr.idaho.gov/StateEmployees/Benefits.html

*Benefits may not be applicable for temporary or seasonal positions.

EEO/ADA/Veteran's Preference

The State of Idaho is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, political affiliation or belief, sex, national origin, genetics, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The State of Idaho is committed to access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request. If you require an accommodation at any step in our recruitment process, you are encouraged to contact (208) 334-2263 (TTY/TTD: 711), or email [email protected] .

Preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations.

Agency

State of Idaho

Address

304 North 8th Street

Boise, Idaho, 83720

Website

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/idaho