The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Public Health Laboratory (PHL) is seeking to hire a Chief of Environmental Sciences, reporting to Associate Director of Environmental Sciences at PHL. PHL's mission is to safeguard the health of all New York City (NYC) residents by providing quality laboratory testing services that support the priorities of DOHMH and its community partners to prevent and respond to clinical and environmental public health concerns.

This is an excellent opportunity to join our multidisciplinary team of more than 200 laboratory professionals, and collaborate with State, Federal and academic partners such as New York State Wadsworth Center and CDC.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Oversee potable and non-potable water testing at Public Health Laboratory.

Work closely with NYC DOHMH bioinformaticians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and environmental scientists.

Ensure staff are effectively trained on molecular biological and microbiological techniques for the detection of pathogens in drinking, non-potable waters (cooling tower, misters etc.) and wastewater.

Oversee NYS Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) units that test for fecal indictor bacteria as well as Legionella and E. coli in drinking, recreational and other non-potable waters.

Direct validation and implementation of assays for the detection of current and (re)emerging bacterial, viral, and parasitological pathogens.

Maintain quality assurance and quality control of data generated by the PHL to ensure reproducibility, accuracy, and compliance with applicable regulatory bodies.

Oversee PHL's wastewater surveillance unit, which focuses on providing surveillance for a variety of diseases in NYC using wastewater-based epidemiology.

Supervise a team of Research Scientists, performing high-level supervisory functions such as advising staff of appropriate scientific research methods and techniques.

Oversee the work of personnel to ensure accurate results.

Educate, train and provide guidance to in-house staff and DOHMH partners on the interpretation of results.

Stay abreast of changes in the field and advise DOHMH staff on best practices and emerging concerns.

Design and participate in research studies and supervise staff in conducting research projects.

Summarize and communicate results in a comprehensive way for lay audiences, scientific meetings, and journal publications.

Write grants and maintain the unit's procurement cycle and budget.

Recent work (selected): Lapierre P.,et al. (2017); Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Caused by Endemic Strain of Legionella pneumophila, New York, New York, USA, 2015; Emerging Infectious
Diseases Nov; 23(11): 1784-1791Omoregie, E., (2022); Legionella monitoring in the New York City water distribution system 2017 to 2019; AWWA Water Science; 4(2) Ryserson A.B., et al. (2022) Wastewater Testing and Detection of Poliovirus Type 2 Genetically Linked to Virus Isolated from a Paralytic Polio Case New York, March 9–October 11, 2022; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 71(44); 1418-1424CDC NWSS: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/surveillance/wastewater-surveillance/wastewater-surveillance.htmlNYC Beach water quality reports: https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/Beaches/& beach-report-2021.pdf (nyc.gov)

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Experience in working with pathogenic organisms, assay validation and performing PCR and other molecular biology and microbiology assays. Prior professional experience managing unit activities and relationships with internal and external partners with limited supervision. Knowledge and understanding of and participation in the production of high-quality scientific communication and grant proposals. Experience in environmental science testing. Knowledge of generally accepted standards of laboratory performance and testing method requirements such as those from FDA, EPA, NYS Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) or NYS Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP).

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.