Job Description

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Public Health Division (PHD), Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) located in Hillsboro, Oregon, is actively recruiting for two General Microbiologist (Microbiologist 2) to perform analytical testing in the General Microbiology lab.

These are full-time, permanent, classified positions and are represented by a union.

The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) has been actively protecting the public’s health since 1903 by supporting state and local infectious disease control efforts, preventing metabolic disorders detectable at birth, and assuring the quality of testing in clinical and environmental laboratories. Please click here for more information.

What will you do?

As the General Microbiologist your responsibilities may include testing and whole genome sequencing of enteric pathogens, testing of Mycobacteria for the state Tuberculosis program, and may also involve testing of select agents for the PHEP program.

Specimen testing may include:

• Using conventional and molecular methods to identify and further classify a variety of pathogenic bacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella, and Shigella species.
• Testing pathogenic bacteria for drug resistance.
• Performing Whole Genome Sequencing analysis on bacterial isolates.
• Testing clinical and environmental samples for the presence of biological select agents.
• Testing water for coliform bacteria.
• Isolating bacterial pathogens from retail meats.
• Preparing specimens for storage and delivery related to the Emerging Infections Program and Epidemiology Lab Capacity grants.

What’s in it for you? The public health division is a team of passionate individuals working to promote health across the lifespan of individuals, families, and communities. We value and support unique perspectives using a trauma-informed approach and aim to reflect these values in our hiring practices, professional development, and workplace. We are committed to racial equity as a driving factor to improve health outcomes for all communities that experience inequities.

• We offer exceptional medical, vision and dental benefit packages for you and your qualified family members with minimal out-of-pocket costs (member cost share is as low as 1% – 5%). Try this free virtual benefits counselor by clicking here: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/pebb/pages/alex.aspx
• Paid Leave Days:
  • 11 paid holidays each year.
  • 3 additional paid personal business days each year.
  • 8 hours of paid sick leave accrued each month.
  • 8 hours of vacation leave accrued each month with increases every 5 years.
• Pension and Retirement plans. After six months of service, you may qualify for the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS). New employees may be enrolled in the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP).
• Student Loan Forgiveness; Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity. The PSLF program may forgive student loan balances after you’ve made the equivalent of 120 qualifying monthly payments.
• Optional benefits include short-term disability, long-term disability, deferred compensation savings program, and flexible spending accounts for health care and childcare expenses.
• Continuous growth and development opportunities.
• Click here to learn more and access a summary of State of Oregon benefits.

Salary Range: $4,536 – $6,952 / month

The Oregon Health Authority is committed to:

• Eliminating health inequities in Oregon by 2030
• Becoming an anti-racist organization
• Developing and promoting culturally and linguistically appropriate programs, and
• Developing and retaining a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce that represents the diversity, cultures, strengths, and values of the people of Oregon.

Minimum Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or in a closely related field of science AND in addition to a bachelor’s degree, one year of clinical microbiological laboratory experience;

OR,

A master’s degree in biology, chemistry, or in a closely related field of science;

OR,

An equivalent combination (4 years) of education and clinical microbiological laboratory experience.

Desired Attributes:

• Preference may be given to applicants with a master’s degree and experience identifying bacteria by classical methods in a clinical setting.
• Experience working as a general microbiologist in a clinical laboratory.
• Experience testing for tuberculosis, blood parasites, and enteric pathogens.
• Experience with molecular testing including whole genome sequencing.
• Experience interpreting quality control results and implementing proper corrective action.
• Experience recording specimen data and results within a laboratory information management system.
• Experience identifying organisms and assessing the need for non-culture tests to aid in organism identification.
• Experience identifying and interpreting growth patterns in reportable isolates.
• Certification as a Medical Technologist is a plus.
• Experience creating, promoting, welcoming, and maintaining a culturally competent and diverse work environment.

Working Conditions: The work of this role is performed on-site at the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory, 7202 NE Evergreen Parkway, Hillsboro, OR 97124.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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