Environmental Laboratory Supervisor - Environmental Services Department

Job Description

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is a national leader in pollution prevention, watershed protection, utility service provision, and climate action. Together, ESD employees positively impact every resident and business in San Jose.

Our department is an exceptional place to start or grow your career. We have a supportive leadership team, numerous professional growth opportunities, and an inclusive workplace culture that is welcoming of your talents!

To learn more about ESD, follow @sjenvironment on X (formally Twitter), Facebook , Instagram , and San Jose Environmental Services on LinkedIn .

About the Environmental Laboratory
The Environmental Laboratory provides critical analytical services for monitoring operations, compliance, and industrial discharges to the Wastewater Facility; in addition to the support of various studies monitoring water quality issues in the Bay and urban tributaries. Our state-of-the-art facility provides analytical services for wet chemistry, trace metals, organics, bioassays, and toxicological tests for wastewater, recycled water, biosolids, and estuarine samples. The lab operates 365 days a year and processes more than 50,000 samples annually for internal and external customers. The 28-member laboratory team includes chemists, microbiologists, biologists, and laboratory technicians.
The Environmental Laboratory is comprised of five multidisciplinary sections including two Wastewater Support sections (Wet Chemistry and Biology), Trace Organics, Trace Metals, and a Quality section that oversees Client Support and LIMS (Laboratory information management system) administration.
The Environmental Services Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Environmental Laboratory Supervisor vacancy in the Environmental Laboratory.
The annual salary range for this classification is:
$137,089.68 - $166,617.36
This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates' qualifications and experience.
The Environmental Services Department is seeking a dynamic, high energy, and committed individual to manage one of the sections in the Laboratory. The ideal candidate must have a thorough working knowledge of laboratory wastewater testing protocols, requirements, and procedures in a California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) certified laboratory environment. The Environmental Laboratory Supervisor position reports to the Senior Environmental Program Manager. This position will be responsible for providing front line supervision for a group of a highly technical staff. Laboratory Supervisors provide supervision and direction to Chemists and Microbiologists. They co-ordinate and lead staff coverage and cross-training for the lab's different functional areas to ensure the city maintains its ELAP certification and permit compliance.
Key responsibilities of the Environmental Laboratory Supervisor include but are not limited to:
Planning, organizing, and directing the operations within a section of the laboratory.

Supervising staff to include scheduling, prioritizing, and assigning work; conducting performance evaluations; ensuring staff are trained; making personnel recommendations and addressing employee disciplinary issues.

Providing technical consultation to laboratory service groups to develop sampling procedures and analytical programs to meet their service requests.

Reviewing, evaluating, updating, and establishing analytical methods within an assigned section; setting goals, determining priorities, developing work schedules, monitoring workflow, and maintaining timelines.

Planning, organizing, and directing complex applied research including designing experiments, developing time schedules, setting goals, monitoring results, analyzing data, and submitting oral and written reports as required.

Monitoring and evaluating problems related to plant operations and laboratory analyses and recommending solutions to alleviate such problem situations.

Implementing, evaluating, and monitoring appropriate quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) processes and procedures and establishing data quality objectives to meet ELAP laboratory certification and The Nelac Institute 2016 (TNI 2016) standard requirements.

Evaluating laboratory services, equipment, and preparing justification and recommendation for the purchase of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation and equipment replacements.

Assisting in preparing budget and projections for their assigned section; monitoring expenditures and revenues to ensure they are within budgetary targets; participating in funding forecast needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; and the administration of the approved budget.

Research and preparation of technical and administrative reports, written correspondence and presentations for technical meetings and publications to internal and external stakeholders.

Directing and supervising the implementation and use of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) by staff within an assigned section.

Representing the laboratory to outside agencies and organizations; participating in studies conducted by other agencies to evaluate new or existing analytical methods; providing technical assistance as necessary.

Building and maintaining positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees, other organizations, and their representatives, exhibiting effective customer service and communication skills.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment. Education: A bachelor's degree in chemistry, environmental chemistry, microbiology, biology or a related discipline.
Experience: Four (4) years of professional experience in a laboratory environment, including at least two (2) years of journey-level independent analytical experience in water or wastewater analysis.
Acceptable Substitutions: A master's degree in a related scientific discipline can be substituted for one (1) year of the required professional experience in a laboratory environment. There is no substitution for the two (2) years of journey-level independent analytical experience in water or wastewater analysis.
Certifications: Possession of a valid driver's license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in California.
If selected, the Conditional Offer of Employment may be contingent upon you providing proof of a valid State of California driver's license, and an assessment of your California DMV Employer Pull Notice (EPN) as per the DMV Release of Driver Record Information form. Failure to pass the DMV Pull Notice assessment will deem you ineligible for employment.
The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as d