Public Health Laboratory Scientist

Agency Dept of Health and Human Services Division Public Health Job Classification Title Publ Hlth Scientist (S) Position Number 65041691 Grade NC20 About Us The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is one of the largest, most complex agencies in the state, and has approximately 17,000 employees. It is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all North Carolinians, providing human service needs for special populations including individuals who are deaf, blind, developmentally disabled, and mentally ill, and helping poor North Carolinians achieve economic independence. Description of Work The Public Health Laboratory Scientist position provides full-time, on-site project management and advanced laboratory scientific expertise in support of the NCSLPH Infectious Disease Branch’s clinical and reference operations. It leads the development, optimization, verification, validation, and implementation of new and updated laboratory methods for detecting and characterizing a wide range of pathogens. This role ensures high-quality, compliant diagnostic activities by coordinating with quality assurance, safety, biosafety, and other laboratory support teams. The position supervises a small team and collaborates with leadership to streamline onboarding of new assays, instrumentation, and workflows. It also supports surge testing during heightened public health response needs. Key Duties Include: - Lead development, optimization, verification, validation, and implementation of new and updated infectious disease testing methods. - Manage method-development projects to ensure timely onboarding of assays, workflows, and instrumentation across the laboratory. - Supervise 2–3 laboratory staff and provide technical direction and support during method development and implementation activities. - Prepare and review validation and verification plans and reports to meet regulatory and quality standards. - Integrate new instrument platforms and scalable workflows to improve efficiency of existing diagnostic methods. - Coordinate with quality assurance, safety, and biosafety teams to ensure compliance with CLIA and laboratory quality management practices. - Interpret analytical results, assess quality control measures, and support accurate clinical result reporting. - Compile scientific data, prepare technical reports, and communicate findings to laboratory leadership and program partners. - Provide technical training to laboratory staff on new methods, workflows, and instrumentation. - Participate in surge testing operations during periods of increased public health demand. Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences Salary Range: $70,478.00 - $123,336.00 Recruitment Range: $70,478.00 - $ 90,580.00 Candidates now meet the minimum qualifications of a position if they meet the minimum education and experience listed on the vacancy announcement.  The Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)/ Management Preferences are not required. Applicants who possess the following skills are preferred:  Expert-level experience executing method development workflows, including assay optimization, verification, validation, and implementation using advanced infectious disease diagnostic techniques. Demonstrated proficiency applying laboratory quality assurance practices, including CLIA‑aligned quality control review, root‑cause analysis, and documentation of corrective actions within high‑complexity testing environments. Advanced skill interpreting analytical results across molecular, microbiological, virological, and immunological methods, including evaluation of quality control metrics and integration of findings into clinical reporting workflows. Proven experience managing laboratory project timelines, coordinating multi‑team implementation activities, and reducing onboarding times for new assays, platforms, and instrumentation through structured project management practices. Strong competency training laboratory personnel on new diagnostic methods and workflows, including delivery of technical instruction, performance monitoring, and documentation of process adherence. REPOST - Previous Applicants Do Not Need To Reapply In Order To Be Considered For This Vacancy  The Posting Will Close At 11:59 P.M. The Night Before The End Date The Position Is Time-Limited, Concluding On July 31, 2029 This Position Is 100% Federally Funded About the NC Division of Public Health (DPH): The NC Division of Public Health works to promote and contribute to the highest possible level of health for the people of North Carolina. Our entire statewide system of public health has dedicated professionals who carry out our mission every day through a wide range of essential and activities touching the lives of everyone in our state. About the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (NCSLPH):   The State Laboratory of Public Health (SLPH), we provide medical and environmental laboratory services such as testing, consultation, and training, to public and private health provider organizations responsible for the promotion, protection, and assurance of the health of North Carolina citizens. SLPH serves the entire state as a reference laboratory for difficult, unusual, or otherwise unavailable laboratory procedures and assist in the development, evaluation, and standardization of medical and environmental laboratory testing procedures. We provide training and consultation to improve and assure quality services in other laboratories and certify milk and water laboratories and milk analysts. We test for Acanthamoeba to Zika and everything in between! Visit our website at http://slph.ncpublichealth.com to learn more.   Campus Amenities and Benefits at the State Laboratory of Public Health : 220,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility Plentiful Free Parking Easy access to highways (70, 40 and 440), NC Museum of Art, Umst