Laboratory Technician

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted online.

DESCRIPTION

ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH

Alameda County Health is the local government agency that promotes and protects the health and well-being of all who live, work, learn, and play in Alameda County. We coordinate services and cultivate partnerships with community organizations and providers to help ensure access, organize, and deliver health care and services to people with Medi-Cal and without insurance, support resilient communities, and improve health for all. We focus on health equity by developing programs and systemic solutions that reduce disparities for the people and communities we serve.

Alameda County Health’s departments and programs focus on services and support that provide care for the whole person.

The Behavioral Health Department provides mental health and substance use services for people with Medi-Cal and without insurance and supports people along their path to wellness, recovery, and resilience.

The Environmental Health Department works to keep our air, water, and food safe; it regulates, protects, and promotes the health of everyone in Alameda County by enforcing environmental health codes to reduce exposure to toxins and diseases.

The Public Health Department focuses on community and population-level health, preventing and addressing root causes of health inequity across a range of communicable and chronic diseases.

Alameda County Health also provides services through Housing and Homelessness Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency, HealthPAC, and Healthy Schools and Communities.

PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT

As part of Alameda County Health, the Public Health Department works in partnership with our local communities to ensure the optimal health and well-being of all people. We monitor health status and service delivery, prevent disease, mobilize communities, conduct outreach, and promote health policy and education. We actively seek partnerships and engage with the community to improve community health through a dynamic and responsive process that respects diversity, addresses health equity, and challenges us to provide for present and future generations.

We are nurses, doctors, community psychologists, epidemiologists, dentists, medical social workers, physical and occupational therapists, dietitians, outreach workers, health educators, program managers, and pre-hospital care coordinators.

THE POSITION

Under direction of a licensed certified laboratory professional, to conduct routine chemical, physical, biological, and microbiological tests requiring the application of specialized knowledge in the Public Health Laboratory; and to do related work as required.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success and will possess the following critical attributes:

Experienced in performing a variety of technical and support functions in a public health laboratory, including sample preparation, reagent/media formulation, sterilization, and quality control procedures.

Demonstrates a strong commitment to organizational goals and understands the critical role laboratory services play in disease prevention, outbreak response, and environmental health monitoring.

Highly detail-oriented and capable of following strict protocols and regulatory guidelines to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable testing results.

Knowledgeable in laboratory biosafety practices, with the ability to recognize and respond to potential hazards in accordance with local, state, and federal safety regulations.

Proficient in maintaining lab equipment and inventory systems, ensuring proper functionality and availability of supplies to support continuous testing operations.

Skilled in collecting, recording, and reviewing laboratory data, and understands the importance of maintaining accurate records for reporting and surveillance.

Collaborative and communicative, working effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, and demonstrating professionalism in high-pressure or emergency response situations.

Adaptable and resourceful, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced laboratory environment that responds to emerging threats.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Satisfactory completion of four college-level courses, including two courses in chemistry and two courses in biology or an equivalent natural science from an accredited college or university.

AND

Experience:

EITHER I

The equivalent of six months in the classification of Public Health Laboratory Assistant in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

OR II

The equivalent of one-year full-time experience as a laboratory assistant in a physical/biotechnology, medical or public health setting. (An AA degree in a Natural Science from an accredited college may substitute for six months of this experience).

License:

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license is desirable.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

General laboratory methods of examination.

General science laboratory standard, practices and techniques.

Quality assurance/quality control parameters.

Techniques for disinfecting, sterilizing, and glassware washing.

Operation of laboratory equipment and instruments such as autoclaves, ovens, incubators, centrifuges, etc.

Occupational hazards and safety precautions required in laboratory work.

Ability to:

Perform accurate laboratory tests of samples submitted to the laboratory.

Maintain laboratory equipment and records.

Follow oral and written directions of a technical nature in exact details.

Communicate well both verbally and in writing.

Perform data entry and other clerical duties as assigned.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

A review of applicants' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those applicants who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to determine the best qualified. Those candidates considered the best qualified will move on to the final step in the examination process.

An oral interview which will be weighted as 100 % of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work. To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, hrs.alamedacountyca.gov.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN:

Deadline for Filing:

5:00:00 PM, Monday, June 30, 2025

Review of Minimum Qualifications:

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified:

August 11, 2025

Virtual Pre-Recorded Civil Service Oral Examination:

Rating of Interviews:

August 11 - August 21, 2025

August 22 - September 2, 2025

Notification of Results:

Week of September 8, 2025

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

Departmental Hiring Interviews:

Late September 2025

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, hrs.alamedacountyca.gov.

BENEFITS

The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

Medical – HMO & PPO Plans

Dental – HMO & PPO Plans

Vision or Vision Reimbursement

Share the Savings

Basic Life Insurance

Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)

Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance

County Allowance Credit

Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Long-Term Care, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services

Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)

Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

12 paid holidays

Floating Holidays

Vacation and sick leave accrual

Vacation purchase program

Catastrophic Sick Leave

Pet Insurance

Commuter Benefits Program

Guaranteed Ride Home

Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)

Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)

Child Care Resources

1st United Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org, and as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box and are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at hrs.alamedacountyca.gov. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Tracy Gonzalez Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

Email:

hrs.alamedacountyca.gov.

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.