California Department of Public Health
Wastewater Surveillance Section Chief | Research Scientist Supervisor II (Microb
California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, United States, 94875
Overview
Wastewater Surveillance Section Chief | Research Scientist Supervisor II (Microbiological Sciences), JC-491176 – California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The CDPH’s Center for Laboratory Sciences (CLS) and Drinking Water & Radiation Laboratory Branch (DWRLB) support testing, surveillance, and environmental monitoring to protect public health. This role coordinates sample collection and receipt from wastewater utilities statewide, processes samples, performs laboratory testing, reports detected pathogen results, and evaluates results for trends in relation to reported case numbers. The incumbent acts as the Wastewater Surveillance Section Chief (WWSS) within the DWRLB, serving as a second-line supervisor, primary subject matter expert, and manager of the Wastewater Surveillance and Microbiology programs. Job Description And Duties
The incumbent works under broad direction of the Branch Chief, Research Scientist Manager (RSM) (Chemical Sciences) of the DWRLB. Responsibilities include managing and directing laboratory programmatic activities for WWSS and environmental microbiology outbreak responses; providing guidance for implementing methodologies and applications to achieve program deliverables; and designing complex scientific studies and experimental plans related to program advancement and major goals. Additional duties include managing cooperative agreements and grants, milestones, and collaborating with branch management and external partners on new projects and programmatic plans for outreach. Key duty: support the CDPH mission and strategic plan by coordinating sample collection/receipt, processing, testing, reporting, and interpretation of wastewater-derived pathogen data. Desirable Qualifications
In addition to evaluating a candidate’s education and experience, the following factors will inform competitive evaluation: Excellent technical writing and scientific communication skills (grant proposals, reports, SOPs, peer-reviewed publications). Demonstrated success in interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement with state/local health departments, academic partners, and federal agencies. Proven ability to oversee and evaluate cooperative agreements, grants, or multi-agency partnerships in environmental health or surveillance. Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)
An SOQ is a narrative discussion describing how an applicant’s education, training, experience, and skills meet the Desirable Qualifications. The SOQ will be evaluated for writing ability. Please address the SOQ with specific examples of education, training, and experience. For information on writing an SOQ, see: How to Write Engaging SOQ's for CDPH. Please answer all the following questions. Limit one page per answer, double spaced, 12 point Arial. 1. Leadership & Management -
Describe your experience supervising laboratory teams, including staff development, scheduling, and performance in a high-throughput or public health laboratory environment. Provide an example of how you motivated or cross-trained staff to improve laboratory operations. 2. Technical Expertise in Wastewater-Based Epidemiology -
Explain your background in environmental microbiology, molecular biology, or related fields as it pertains to wastewater surveillance. Include experience with pathogen detection methods (PCR, sequencing), data interpretation, and quality control in infectious disease monitoring. 3. Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement -
Explain how you have collaborated with public health agencies, academic partners, or other stakeholders to enhance surveillance efforts. Include an example of communicating technical findings to a non-technical audience. 4. Vision for the Role -
Describe how you would strengthen and expand wastewater surveillance for infectious diseases as a senior supervisor. What strategies would you prioritize to enhance laboratory capacity, staff engagement, and program impact? Eligibility Information
If you are new to California State Service, you must take and pass the examination for this classification to be eligible for hire. Current state employees without transfer or list eligibility must also complete and pass the examination for this classification to qualify for this position. Please visit the CalCareers/Exams web page to review the Research Scientist Supervisor II (Microbiological Sciences) exam bulletin. Telework Information
This position may be eligible for telework up to three (3) days per week and is required to report in-person to the designated headquarters office a minimum of two (2) days per week. Telework eligibility is at the Department’s discretion and subject to change under CDPH’s Telework Program. All teleworkers must be California residents per Government Code 14200. Candidates residing outside California may be interviewed; however, the selected candidate must have a California residency prior to appointment and maintain residency as a condition of employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in withdrawal of the offer. Business travel may be required. All commute expenses to the designated headquarters office are the responsibility of the selected candidate. The headquarters office location is identified in the attached duty statement. Final Filing Date
10/6/2025 Job Code #: JC-491176 Position #(s): 580-722-5654-901 Classification: RESEARCH SCIENTIST SUPERVISOR II (MICROBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES) $10,933.00 - $14,019.00 Telework: In Office Job Type: 12 Month Limited Term - Full Time Should you have any questions regarding the application process, our Recruitment Team is ready to help you at Apply@cdph.ca.gov or (916) 445-0983.
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Wastewater Surveillance Section Chief | Research Scientist Supervisor II (Microbiological Sciences), JC-491176 – California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The CDPH’s Center for Laboratory Sciences (CLS) and Drinking Water & Radiation Laboratory Branch (DWRLB) support testing, surveillance, and environmental monitoring to protect public health. This role coordinates sample collection and receipt from wastewater utilities statewide, processes samples, performs laboratory testing, reports detected pathogen results, and evaluates results for trends in relation to reported case numbers. The incumbent acts as the Wastewater Surveillance Section Chief (WWSS) within the DWRLB, serving as a second-line supervisor, primary subject matter expert, and manager of the Wastewater Surveillance and Microbiology programs. Job Description And Duties
The incumbent works under broad direction of the Branch Chief, Research Scientist Manager (RSM) (Chemical Sciences) of the DWRLB. Responsibilities include managing and directing laboratory programmatic activities for WWSS and environmental microbiology outbreak responses; providing guidance for implementing methodologies and applications to achieve program deliverables; and designing complex scientific studies and experimental plans related to program advancement and major goals. Additional duties include managing cooperative agreements and grants, milestones, and collaborating with branch management and external partners on new projects and programmatic plans for outreach. Key duty: support the CDPH mission and strategic plan by coordinating sample collection/receipt, processing, testing, reporting, and interpretation of wastewater-derived pathogen data. Desirable Qualifications
In addition to evaluating a candidate’s education and experience, the following factors will inform competitive evaluation: Excellent technical writing and scientific communication skills (grant proposals, reports, SOPs, peer-reviewed publications). Demonstrated success in interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement with state/local health departments, academic partners, and federal agencies. Proven ability to oversee and evaluate cooperative agreements, grants, or multi-agency partnerships in environmental health or surveillance. Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)
An SOQ is a narrative discussion describing how an applicant’s education, training, experience, and skills meet the Desirable Qualifications. The SOQ will be evaluated for writing ability. Please address the SOQ with specific examples of education, training, and experience. For information on writing an SOQ, see: How to Write Engaging SOQ's for CDPH. Please answer all the following questions. Limit one page per answer, double spaced, 12 point Arial. 1. Leadership & Management -
Describe your experience supervising laboratory teams, including staff development, scheduling, and performance in a high-throughput or public health laboratory environment. Provide an example of how you motivated or cross-trained staff to improve laboratory operations. 2. Technical Expertise in Wastewater-Based Epidemiology -
Explain your background in environmental microbiology, molecular biology, or related fields as it pertains to wastewater surveillance. Include experience with pathogen detection methods (PCR, sequencing), data interpretation, and quality control in infectious disease monitoring. 3. Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement -
Explain how you have collaborated with public health agencies, academic partners, or other stakeholders to enhance surveillance efforts. Include an example of communicating technical findings to a non-technical audience. 4. Vision for the Role -
Describe how you would strengthen and expand wastewater surveillance for infectious diseases as a senior supervisor. What strategies would you prioritize to enhance laboratory capacity, staff engagement, and program impact? Eligibility Information
If you are new to California State Service, you must take and pass the examination for this classification to be eligible for hire. Current state employees without transfer or list eligibility must also complete and pass the examination for this classification to qualify for this position. Please visit the CalCareers/Exams web page to review the Research Scientist Supervisor II (Microbiological Sciences) exam bulletin. Telework Information
This position may be eligible for telework up to three (3) days per week and is required to report in-person to the designated headquarters office a minimum of two (2) days per week. Telework eligibility is at the Department’s discretion and subject to change under CDPH’s Telework Program. All teleworkers must be California residents per Government Code 14200. Candidates residing outside California may be interviewed; however, the selected candidate must have a California residency prior to appointment and maintain residency as a condition of employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in withdrawal of the offer. Business travel may be required. All commute expenses to the designated headquarters office are the responsibility of the selected candidate. The headquarters office location is identified in the attached duty statement. Final Filing Date
10/6/2025 Job Code #: JC-491176 Position #(s): 580-722-5654-901 Classification: RESEARCH SCIENTIST SUPERVISOR II (MICROBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES) $10,933.00 - $14,019.00 Telework: In Office Job Type: 12 Month Limited Term - Full Time Should you have any questions regarding the application process, our Recruitment Team is ready to help you at Apply@cdph.ca.gov or (916) 445-0983.
#J-18808-Ljbffr