Medical Laboratory Technologist II (Bacterial STD section)

The Microbiology Unit/ Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Diseases (BSTD) section of the NC State Laboratory of Public Health is currently accepting applications for a Medical Laboratory Technologist II vacancy. The primary role of this position is to perform clinical testing procedures for the identification of chlamydia and gonorrhea using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) and the identification and confirmation of syphilis using RPR (rapid plasma regain) and automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). Duties at this position also include providing testing consultation to physicians, epidemiologists, nurses, and laboratorians, and the routine use of a laboratory information management system (LIMS). Candidates must be able to adapt to changing requirements that can arise in a high specimen volume clinical laboratory and work well within multidisciplinary teams. Work is performed at Biosafety Levels 2 using proper containment techniques and personal protective equipment (PPE) as required. Surge capacity response during viral, bacterial, and/or fungal public health disease clusters, outbreaks, and/or pandemics is required. Work may require extended work hours to include weekends and/or holidays to meet routine and/or emergency specimen processing, testing, and reporting.

The Microbiology Unit BSTD section Medical Laboratory Technologist II will perform duties that include though are not limited to the following:

The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (NCSLPH) provides an array of services including Laboratory Testing, Training/Consultation and Certification. The NCSLPH provides more than 125 clinical laboratory tests and more than 65 environmental laboratory tests to the public and private medical health care system in North Carolina and performs over 6 million tests annually on human, animal, food, water, and agricultural samples. Additionally, NCSLPH provides training and consultation for local health departments, hospitals, commercial laboratories, private health care professionals, community-based organizations and state and regional staff from the NC Division of Public Health (DPH) and other state and regional agencies. 

A staff of over 200 employees make up the organization units which include Administration, Bioterrorism and Emerging Pathogens (BTEP), Chemical Terrorism and Threat, Environmental Sciences, Quality & Laboratory Improvement, Molecular Diagnostics & Epidemiology, Newborn Screening, Microbiology, Sequencing and Bioinformatics Response, and Virology/Serology and is co-located with the Office of Chief Medical in a 220,000-sq. ft. state of the art facility. The NCSLPH has several doctoral level managers and research scientists as well as medical laboratory specialists, medical technologists, chemists, laboratory technicians, and support staff.  

The Infectious Diseases Unit (IDU) at the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (NCSLPH) is comprised of three primary units containing various laboratories all of which provide testing services to local and state partners as well as to clinical labs for the diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and control of communicable diseases. Collectively, the unit conducts highly complex testing procedures for the detection, identification, and characterization of a wide range of infectious agents from a variety of clinical, reference, and environmental specimens. 

The Microbiology Unit provides clinical and reference microbiological testing for public and private laboratories, as well as for associated partners. This diverse unit performs testing such as organism identification and detection that aids in the diagnosis of foodborne, vaccine-preventable, parasitic, and fungal diseases. Microbiological culture and workups to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and a variety of other pathogens such as Legionella and Neisseria are also performed by this unit. Microbial resistance testing and surveillance methods are also performed within the unit. Results generated from this unit are utilized by a variety of partners for diagnosis, patient management, surveillance, and outbreak investigations.

The Bacterial STD laboratory provides specialized testing for the detection of chlamydia and gonorrhea using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) and the identification and confirmation of syphilis using RPR and automated enzyme immunoassays (CMIA). This work is performed by a team consisting of 7 staff members including the section supervisor. Specimens are accepted from health care providers across the state. The section performs testing for over 100,000 patient samples annually. 

We are in Raleigh, NC. According to Forbes, we are ranked as one of the top 20 best places to retire and the 2nd most educated city in the country. US News & World ranks Raleigh among the top 15 places to live in the U.S.