Public Health Laboratory Technician

Healthy People - Healthy Community

The Solano County Public Health Laboratory, the only regional public health lab in California, supports and enhances the efforts of Solano, Napa, Yolo and Marin County Health Departments in the detection, control and prevention of communicable diseases by performing essential public health laboratory services. We continue to build partnerships with local public health teams, including Travis Air Force Base, State prison, hospitals, including Sutter Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and NorthBay Medical Center, local physicians, and other community partners. The laboratory employs advanced laboratory instrumentation that provides a high level of testing. Examples of lab services include antibiotic drug susceptibility by VITEK, serology and immunology by Evolis, molecular PCR testing by Roche, definitive Mycobacterial identification by HPLC, Mycology, Bacteriology, Parasitology, foodborne illness examinations, Rabies FRA, tick testing for Lyme disease, chemistry and bacteriology testing of drinking and surface water. 

The lab receives federal and local grant funding related to public health emergency preparedness and homeland security. Employees attend state and national trainings to improve the lab’s capability to perform specialized testing. The lab recently implemented an advanced Laboratory Information Management System for electronic reporting of communicable diseases. 

To learn more about the Public Health Services Division, please visit: http://www.solanocounty.com/depts/ph/default.asp

The Public Health Laboratory Technician assists the Public Health Microbiologists by preparing equipment, supplies and culture media and performing or initiating routine biological tests; weighs, prepares, and sterilizes culture media and reagents for testing and performs courier services. 

This recruitment is intended to fill Public Health Laboratory Technician (Extra-Help) position.  Extra-help employees do not have rights to a regular position or continued employment and are excluded from civil service. The hours worked may be part-time or full-time, but hours cannot exceed more than 999 hours in a fiscal year. 

Note: All CalPERS retirees applying for Extra Help positions must meet CalPERS post retirement employment requirements. Work must be performed for a limited duration and retiree annuitant may not work more than 960 hours per fiscal year. 

Position Requirements:

Experience: Some laboratory experience desirable.    

Education/Training: High school diploma or equivalent with vocational or technical school training in environmental technology, chemistry, biology or related field.  

To review the full class specification which includes examples of duties, please visit http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=15975 

Extra-help employees who work less than 29 hours per week do not typically receive or accrue benefits of regular employees during their period of employment. All extra-help employees accrue .034 hours of Paid Time Off for every full hour worked.  

To view the benefits for an extra-help position, please visit: 

https://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=16516  

CULTURE OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Solano County is committed to “Invest In and For the Future” by providing training resources to encourage employee professional development and growth within our organization. While employed with Solano County, employees have the opportunity to pursue their career goals, interests, and develop the competencies on the Solano County Leadership Development Model by participating in the following programs:  

• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Annual Education Fair
• County Mentoring Program
• Leadership Academy
• Supervisory Trainings
• Skill Development Trainings
• Self-paced learning opportunities 

Based on the information provided in the application documents, the qualified applicants may be invited for further examination and will either be pre-scheduled by the Department of Human Resources or be invited to self-schedule. All applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of an initial application screening, a mandatory information meeting, a supplemental questionnaire assessment, a written and/or practical exam, an oral board exam, or any combination listed. Responses to supplemental questions may be used as screening and testing mechanisms and will be used to assess an applicant’s ability to advance in the process; as such, responses to supplemental questions should be treated as test examination responses. Information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

A minimum score of 70% is required to continue in the selection process, unless otherwise announced.

All potential new hires and employees considered for promotion to management, confidential positions or unrepresented positions will be subject to a background and reference check after contingent job offer is accepted.  These provisions are subject to change.

RETIREES - Solano County invites all qualified candidates to apply for positions; however pursuant to Government Code Section 21221(h) and 21224, hiring restrictions may apply to California Public Sector Pension Plan Retirees.

All applicants must submit a copy of their official/unofficial transcripts of vocational or technical school training (verifying the courses and units completed) by the final filing date. Candidates who fail to submit their diploma, certificate or transcripts (if required) by the final filing date will be disqualified from the recruitment.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:  Candidates who attended a college or university that is accredited by a foreign or non-U.S. accrediting agency must have their educational units evaluated by an educational evaluation service. The result must be submitted to the Human Resources Department no later than the close of the recruitment. Please contact the local college or university to learn where this service can be obtained.

How to Submit Your Documents

In addition to uploading attachments when applying online, candidates may submit documents by mail to Solano County Department of Human Resources 675 Texas Street, Suite 1800, Fairfield CA  94533, by fax to (707) 784-3424, or by email to recruitment@solanocounty.com.  When submitting documents in-person, by mail or by fax, include the recruitment title (Public Health Lab Technician) and the recruitment number (21-433130-01).  If submitting documents by email include the recruitment title and recruitment number in the subject field.

To be eligible, applicant must have served at least 181 consecutive days of active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and have received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.  A COPY OF THE DD 214, SHOWING DISCHARGE TYPE (GENERALLY COPY 4), MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT BY THE FINAL FILING DATE.  Applicants who have a service connected disability must also submit a recent award letter from the VA stating they are receiving disability benefits for service connected reasons. 

Veteran applicants for initial County employment with an honorable or general under conditions discharge shall receive five (5) points added to their combined score. Disabled veterans rated at not less than 30% disability shall have ten (10) points added to their combined score.  Veteran’s preference points will only be added to passing scores in competitive open examinations.

SOLANO COUNTY IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER