State of Maryland

A Public Health Laboratory Scientist Manager is the managerial level of work performing public health analytical, diagnostic, environmental and epidemiological laboratory testing in a public health laboratory.  Employees in this classification supervise Public Health Laboratory Scientist Supervisors supervising a variety of laboratory tests, assays, analytical procedure validations and quality assurance and quality control studies in such fields as analytical and environmental chemistry, diagnostic and environmental microbiology and immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology and virology.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a higher-level Public Health Laboratory Scientist.  Work is performed in a laboratory setting.  Employees may be required to work evenings, weekends and holidays.  Employees are required to observe infection control precautions in order to prevent contamination and the spread of disease.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Public Health Laboratory Scientist Manager is differentiated from the Public Health Laboratory Scientist Supervisor in that the Public Health Laboratory Scientist Manager has supervisory responsibility for Public Health Laboratory Scientist Supervisors, and manages a regional laboratory or serves as an Assistant Division Chief in the Maryland Laboratories Administration while the Public Health Laboratory Scientist Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Public Health Laboratory Scientists General. The Public Health Laboratory Scientist Manager is differentiated from the Public Health Laboratory Scientist VI in that the Public Health Laboratory Scientist VI is responsible for the general administration and technical supervision of all the staff in a division or for a Regional Public Health Laboratory in the MDH Laboratories Administration.

Serves as an Assistant Division Chief in the Maryland Laboratories Administration or manages the work of a regional laboratory in the Maryland Laboratories Administration;

Directs the planning, administration, budgeting, services and public relations of a regional laboratory in the Maryland Laboratories Administration;

Supervises, schedules, assigns and evaluates the work of Public Health Laboratory Scientist Supervisors;

Manages the operation of public health laboratory testing and the accuracy and reliability of pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical testing on a daily basis;

Manages the training of lower-level Public Health Laboratory Scientists General;

Troubleshoots laboratory testing, the maintenance and repair of laboratory instruments and recommends the purchase of laboratory equipment;

Manages the acceptance, rejection and appropriateness of test specimens and samples;

Manages the propagation and identification of viruses in tissue culture, the culturing, isolation and identification of infectious and environmental microorganisms from blood, body tissues, water and foods, the quality of biochemical and bioimmunological assays to screen populations for hereditary disorders and the performance and quality of analytical chemistry testing performed for environmental health and protection;

Manages the safe handling, containment, manipulation and disposal of infectious microorganisms, radiochemicals and hazardous chemicals;

Approves changes to regional laboratory safety policies, procedures and rules;

Reviews action logs, customer complaints and quality assurance and quality control problems and recommends solutions;

Manages the enforcement of State standards and federal regulatory requirements for medical and environmental laboratories;

Oversees quality control, quality assurance measures and continuing quality improvement processes individually and through team efforts;

Produces and manages the production of standard operating procedures and quality assurance manuals;

Compiles quarterly report data;

Identifies and develops testing costs and budgets for regional laboratories;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position. 

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.