Newborn Screening Scientist.

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado.

About Us

At The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) we are dedicated to the Colorado for All philosophy—working toward a Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We support the basic human rights of our neighbors regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education level, disability, socio-economic status, or any other visible or invisible identity. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Benefits

• Free parking and access to RTD bus lines
• Flexible working arrangements
• Retirement (PERA options), Medical and dental health plans
• Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year and generous personal time off
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness programs
• Professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

About the Role

The Colorado Newborn Screening Program (CONBSP) within the Colorado Public Health Lab (CPHL) ensures compliance with state law requiring all newborns in Colorado to be screened for the following conditions: Phenylketonuria, Congenital Hypothyroidism, Hemoglobinopathies, Galactosemia, Cystic Fibrosis, Biotinidase Deficiency, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Amino Acidemias, Organic Acidemias, Fatty Acid Oxidation disorders, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Pompe, MPSI, X-ALD, and other conditions determined by the Colorado Board of Health. The program aims to prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases and ensure families of affected newborns receive proper follow-up and education.

This posting is used to hire several scientist positions within CONBSP, including Quality Assurance Scientist, Molecular Testing Scientist, and Molecular Testing Scientist. The scientist position serves as a subject matter expert in quality assurance, molecular testing, or mass spectrometry testing.

Responsibilities

• Validations for new and existing equipment, disorders, and testing methods:
  • Conduct research into methods for current and new testing
  • Develop or support development of plans to validate these methods based on Laboratory SOPs, scientific literature, and formal education or experience
  • Collaborate with Bench Scientist, NBS Scientist Supervisor, and/or QA Specialist to share findings and discuss implementation
  • Work with NBS Program Manager, Scientist Supervisor, and Bench Scientist to optimize interpretative logic in the NBS LIMS
  • Evaluate cutoff values on an ongoing basis to ensure accurate identification and categorization of disorders
• Quality Assurance (QA) / Quality Control (QC):
  • Ensure quality assurance for staff, instruments, processes, and daily assays for disorder testing
  • Collaborate with NBS Program Manager, NBS Staff, and/or Laboratory QA Specialist to improve quality standards
  • Operate, calibrate, verify, compare, and maintain equipment used in analysis
  • Document the functionality of instrumentation
• Analytic Testing:
  • Perform high-complexity clinical testing in compliance with CLIA to identify newborns at risk
  • Become a subject matter expert in mass spectrometry or molecular methods
  • Maintain bench competencies for weekend operations
  • Perform daily testing using current instruments for conditions determined by the Colorado Board of Health
  • Perform sample review and preparation for testing on instruments
  • Perform result review and reporting
• LIMS and Interoperability Support:
  • Provide implementation of software support to the NBS Program, including LIMS subject matter expert training and updates
  • Train with the vendor to provide LIMS support and training to NBS staff as a LIMS core team member
  • Engage with NBS LIMS administrator, vital records, and the LIMS vendor to ensure the NBS program LIMS is up to date and operational

Requirements

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Minimum Qualifications:

An applicant may meet the minimum qualifications for this job in one of two ways:

• Experience Only: Five (5) years of relevant experience in a laboratory setting performing biological, microbiological, biochemical, or molecular science testing with an emphasis on directing or designing quality assurance (QA) protocols and safety procedures.
• Education And Experience: A combination of related education in biological and/or physical science (e.g., microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry, or genetics) and/or relevant experience in a laboratory setting performing biological, microbiological, biochemical, or molecular science testing with an emphasis on directing or designing quality assurance (QA) protocols and safety procedures equal to five (5) years.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An advanced degree in biological and/or physical science (e.g., microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry, or genetics)
• Ability to collaborate and achieve consensus across work units and programs
• In-depth knowledge of laboratory regulatory requirements (e.g., CLIA, EPA, FDA, ISO)
• In-depth knowledge of chemical safety recommendations
• Ability to strategize, organize, and plan, including creating and updating training plans
• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing with a wide range of customers
• Knowledge of and use of desktop computer hardware and software
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
• Ability to interpret regulations and statutes
• Ability to interpret and analyze data
• Keen attention to detail
• Ability to self-motivate
• Ability to work well independently as well as in/with a team

Conditions of Employment

• A pre-employment background check will be conducted as part of the selection process.
• This is a critical position; employees may be expected to work and/or remain at their worksite during delayed start, early release, or closure situations.
• Must be available in the event of an emergency (e.g., bio-terrorist attack, chemical attack, disease outbreak, or all hazards) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. Travel restrictions may be in place during this time.
• Must be available in the event of the activation of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. Travel restrictions may be in place during this time.