Microbiologist I/II - Environmental Services Department

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About the Department

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! We offer an array of meaningful career paths and value flexibility. Additionally, the City offers a wide array of benefits, as well as 15 paid holidays!

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

About the Watershed Protection Division:

The Watershed Protection Division strives to preserve and sustain natural aquatic resources by connecting people to their watershed, the San Francisco Bay, and helping them understand how their daily activities affect water quality. The Watershed Protection Division is approximately 100 employees and is responsible for stormwater management, environmental enforcement, source control and laboratory services.

Stormwater Management coordinates a wide array of activities, such as education, outreach, trash reduction and collaboration with County wide stakeholders to protect and to prevent pollution into the waterways. Environmental Enforcement provides inspection, education, and enforcement services to ensure that local discharges into the storm and sanitary sewers meet regulatory requirements and protect water quality. The Pretreatment Program administers federal requirements that includes permitting and compliance monitoring to industrial that discharges into the sanitary sewer system and Region Wastewater Facility. Lastly, Laboratory Services provides scientific analysis for monitoring operations and compliance at the Regional Wastewater Facility which addresses water quality issues entering the Bay.

Position Duties

Salary ranges for this classification are:

• Microbiologist I: $102,88.24 - $125,034.00 Annually
• Microbiologist II: $113,393.28 - $137,766.72 Annually

Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience. The salary ranges include an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation pay.

These positions work on-site at the Regional Wastewater Facility in Laboratory Services located at 4245 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA 95134. Hybrid work is not available for Microbiologist positions. Laboratory Services operates 365 days per year. Typical schedules are five days per week, working various shifts between 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
The microbiologist position requires the ability to work a flexible schedule which may include: scheduled hours that can range between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., standby duty, overtime, weekends, and holidays

Wastewater Microbiologist Position

The laboratory is seeking to fill One (1) Wastewater Microbiologist positions for the San Jose Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Laboratory. Wastewater Microbiologists will perform technical and professional work involving the microscopic, microbiological, and chemical analysis of water, wastewater, receiving waters, and by-products of the wastewater treatment processes.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Performs microbiological, and chemical analyses on water, wastewater, industrial waste, and related samples for specific inorganic and organic substances.
• Conducts regular microscopic examinations to identify bacterial, protozoan, and metazoan organisms associated with the wastewater treatment process.
• Performs the biomonitoring testing requirements within the laboratory, including the care and maintenance of aquatic species used in bioassays.
• Compiles records and manages laboratory data and records; provides organization of record keeping and data retrieval; prepares written and verbal reports as requested.
• Maintains equipment by performing assigned maintenance activities and troubleshoots unexpected problems.
• Prepares and maintains Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) and technical documentation.
• Implements and maintains quality control, quality assurance, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs) protocols, while ensuring familiarity with relevant quality assurance/control principles and California laboratory accreditation regulations and audit processes.
• Reviews, validates, and reports analytical data using a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Click here to view the full class specification. 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.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Microbiologist I/II: Bachelor's degree in bacteriology, microbiology or related scientific discipline.

Experience:

Microbiologist I: One (1) year of experience working in a laboratory environment.

Microbiologist II: Three (3) years of experience working in a water or wastewater laboratory environment.

Acceptable Substitutions: Master’s degree or higher in bacteriology, microbiology or a related scientific discipline can be substituted for one (1) year of experience working in a laboratory environment.

Required Licensing: Possession of a valid driver’s license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in California.

Physical/Environmental Elements: Depending on assignment, this classification may be Sedentary up to Medium Work.

• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
• Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies, and federal and state rules and regulations.

Knowledge of:

• Microbiological and biological characteristics and standard analytical methods related to water and wastewater.
• Principles and practices of wastewater treatment process.
• Modern laboratory procedures, techniques, and equipment, and the ability to utilize such equipment.
• Microscopy and staining procedures for evaluation of wastewater organisms and its significance in wastewater treatment.
• Knowledge of phytoplankton ecology and chlorophyll analysis.
• Knowledge of whole effluent toxicity and aquatic bioassay.

Ability to:

• Perform bacteriological, microbiological, and wet chemistry analysis on water matrices.
• Analyze, interpret, and prepare laboratory reports.
• Write and review Standard Operating Procedures.
• Use Laboratory Information Management Systems to enter, process, and review analytical data.
• Calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments/equipment.
• Understand Scientific methods and conduct research for method development.

The following certifications are desirable:

• California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Laboratory Analyst Grade 2 Certification
• CA-NV/American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Quality Analyst Certificate

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills- Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Analytical Skills - Approaching a problem or situation by using a logical, systemic, sequential approach.

Creativity- Address objective and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions in order to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business.; exhibits creativity and innovation when contributing to organizational and individual objectives; seeks out opportunities to improve, streamline, reinvent work processes.

Reliability- Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job-specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection, or the hiring process please contact Anthony Vu at Anthony1.Vu@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

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.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 2/14/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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