Chemist 2 - DOH8954

This is a full-time onsite position located at our Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline, WA.

About the role

As the Newborn Screening Laboratory Scientist, you will perform specialized laboratory testing that helps identify serious but treatable disorders in newborns across Washington State. Working onsite in the Public Health Laboratory's Newborn Screening Program, you will analyze a high volume of blood specimens using advanced laboratory instrumentation, evaluate quality control data, troubleshoot equipment, and ensure accurate, timely test results. Your work also includes preparing specimens and reagents, maintaining laboratory records, and contributing to continuous improvements in laboratory methods and processes. Every test performed in this role has the potential to identify a life-threatening condition before symptoms appear, allowing infants to receive treatment as early as possible. By producing reliable laboratory results, you play a direct role in supporting healthcare providers and helping Washington's newborns get the best possible start in life.

Responsibilities

• Perform biochemical and molecular testing on newborn blood specimens using advanced laboratory instrumentation and analytical methods.
• Evaluate quality control and quality assurance data, investigate abnormal or questionable results, and ensure testing meets established laboratory standards.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and maintain laboratory instruments to support accurate and efficient testing.
• Prepare, sort, evaluate, and process newborn specimens to ensure they are suitable for testing and analysis.
• Prepare laboratory reagents, standards, and quality control materials while maintaining testing records, laboratory documentation, and supply inventories.
• Provide cross-training and backup support for additional newborn screening tests to maintain laboratory operations and timely reporting.
• Contribute to laboratory quality improvement initiatives by assisting with method validation, new technologies, equipment implementation, and process improvements.

Why you’ll love this role

• Work with advanced laboratory technologies in a fast-paced, highly specialized public health laboratory.
• Build expertise across biochemical, molecular, and clinical laboratory testing while contributing to continuous quality improvement.
• Produce laboratory results that allow healthcare providers to diagnose and treat serious conditions before newborns develop symptoms.
• Make a measurable difference for families across Washington by supporting one of the state's most important public health screening programs.

Qualifications

There are multiple pathways to qualify for this position. You must meet one of the options provided and any additional criteria listed. Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Option 1: Five (5) or more years of experience performing chemical, biochemical, molecular analysis, or clinical laboratory testing in an analytical laboratory.
• Option 2: Bachelor's degree in chemistry, microbiology, or a health-related field which includes 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) of chemistry and at least one course and one lab in molecular biology; AND two years of experience performing chemical, biochemical, molecular analysis, or clinical laboratory testing in an analytical laboratory.
• Option 3: Master’s degree or higher in chemistry, microbiology; AND six (6) or more months of experience performing chemical, biochemical, molecular analysis, or clinical laboratory testing in an analytical laboratory.

Required Experience, Skills, and Knowledge

• Experience operating and troubleshooting scientific laboratory instrumentation.
• Experience following laboratory quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) procedures.
• Experience maintaining laboratory records and documenting analytical test results.
• Proficient in using standard computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and shared network file systems to support laboratory operations and documentation.
• Experience preparing laboratory reagents, standards, controls, or other testing materials.
• Experience using laboratory information management systems (LIMS) or other computerized laboratory data systems.
• Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) or comparable laboratory quality systems.
• Knowledge of laboratory safety practices and the safe handling of biological specimens and laboratory chemicals.
• Experience working in a high-volume laboratory environment while managing multiple testing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a CLIA certified or other regulated clinical or public health laboratory.
• Experience performing newborn screening, clinical diagnostic testing, or other high volume laboratory testing.
• Experience operating tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrophoresis, immunoassay platforms, molecular testing platforms, or similar analytical instrumentation.
• Experience using a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
• Experience performing method verification, validation, or quality improvement activities.
• Experience troubleshooting complex laboratory instrumentation.
• Experience supporting implementation of new laboratory methods, equipment, or testing processes.
• Experience working with DNA based testing or molecular diagnostic techniques.

Benefits

We offer a solid benefits package that supports you and your family’s health, financial security, and work-life balance. You’ll have access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, and retirement plans that help you plan for tomorrow while you’re living today. Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave help you recharge, and additional programs like dependent care assistance and professional development opportunities add value beyond basic coverage.

About the Public Health Laboratories

At the Public Health Laboratories, every test matters. From hunting emerging pathogens to ensuring every newborn in the state gets life-saving screenings, your work will drive disease detection, outbreak response, and protect Washington’s most vulnerable. We’re the state’s reference lab, tracking rare threats like rabies, hantavirus, and West Nile virus, analyzing outbreaks, and safeguarding food and water safety. Here, science meets service in a collaborative, equity-driven team committed to real-world impact and public health at scale.

About the Washington State Department of Health

We're nearly 2,000 professionals across Washington working together to protect and improve community health. Guided by our values of Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, we address health disparities, respond to emerging challenges, and strengthen systems that support resilience. At DOH, we help reduce barriers, collaborate with diverse communities, and champion equitable health outcomes. We're passionate people who are driven to make a difference in public health.

Working Conditions

• Work Setting: Incumbent is required to work on-site in the lab due to the nature of work/duties.
• It is expected of this individual in this position to work with dried blood (occasionally whole blood) and various laboratory chemicals.
• It is expected of this individual in this position to move items weighing up to 25 lbs. and perform repetitive work for 2 to 3 hours.

Schedule

• The laboratory routinely operates Monday through Saturday and most holidays; this position is assigned to the Tuesday to Saturday schedule with the option to choose a Monday to Friday schedule based on seniority.
• This position also has on-call responsibilities on Mondays and/or Saturdays.
• This position requires working outside of assigned core work hours on short notice in response to outbreaks and emergency response.
• Position may travel occasionally, as needed, either alone or with another person, overnight, for several days and/or out of state. Incumbent may need to legally operate a state- or privately-owned vehicle OR provide alternative transportation while on state business.

Tools & Equipment

• Incubators, refrigerators, freezers, centrifuges, fume hoods, Autodelfias, fluorescent readers, pipettes, card punchers, tandem mass spectrometers, conventional and real-time PCR platforms, and other typical lab equipment.
• Personal protective equipment, computers, copiers, printers, and fax machines.

Customer Interactions

• Newborn screening staff, office director, lead workers, laboratory coordinator, vendors, follow-up staff, support staff, health care providers/customers and other staff in different offices in the laboratory.

Other

• This position is covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.
• The DOH campus is a smoke-free, drug-free, alcohol-free, scent-neutral environment.
• This position may be required to conduct and/or participate in public health emergency preparedness and response activities.
• PHL technical personnel performing testing or other tasks that require color discrimination are to be evaluated for difficulty with visual color discernment. This is a regulatory requirement for the PHL to comply with as part of our College of American Pathologists Accreditation.
• Vaccinations for laboratory contaminants as determined and required by management and Public Health Laboratory Risk assessment may be required.